Fallen Crow

Literally, as the title suggests - a crow that fell… in the middle of a busy road, no less. Now, imagine this: being immobilised and stuck in the middle of the road, facing gigantic metal machines rushing toward you, knowing that instant death awaits if one were to run over you. Scary, right? Here’s my little adventure. 

I was on my morning walk when I noticed a black patch in the middle of the road. I initially thought it was a burst tyre, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a crow. It was alive, mouth open, but didn’t seem to be able to move. Above me, a murder of over 20 crows was circling, with many more perched on the surrounding roadside trees, cawing loudly. I stood by the side of the road, waiting for the traffic to clear. Then, quickly but carefully - so as not to startle the fallen crow - I approached it. Perhaps I was projecting human emotions onto it, but I could sense helplessness and fear, and maybe, resignation - feelings one wouldn’t typically associate with a crow. 

Gently, I picked it up with both hands. It struggled a bit, but I managed to move it to a grass patch. It remained there, still and unable to move. Knowing I had taken it out of harm’s way, I continued my walk. Strangely, the murder of crows followed me. At that moment, I felt a sense of unease. Recent news of crows attacking humans crossed my mind, and I wondered if those above me might do the same. As I walked on, I started worrying about whether the crow I had rescued would become dehydrated. I couldn’t take it to the vet, knowing it would likely be culled, as crows are considered a nuisance. But I could at least do something to alleviate its suffering. 

I turned back, searched around some rubbish bins, and found a discarded cup. After filling it with water, I returned to where I had left the crow. It was still there, but as I approached, it tried to move away - a good sign, I thought. But after a few more attempts to escape, it sat still again. It must have felt exhausted. Once more, I gently lifted it and moved it under a tree, placing the cup of water beside it. The murder of crows continued circling above me, but by then, I no longer cared if they attacked. I had done what I could. This time, as I walked away, the crows did not follow. 

I hope the crow recovers soon.

Completed Trainings

I have finally delivered three 2-day modules over the past two weeks! Despite a rough start, I thought the second and third modules went rather smoothly. That sense of satisfaction after training (or, for that matter, running any event) is a key indicator of how well things unfolded. I’m slowly but surely getting used to the administrative processes after the first session.

As for the delivery, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. One area I need to improve on is pacing - I still find myself speaking too fast and finishing a tad too early, especially for the third module. If this continues, I risk being penalized by the training company and the authorities, particularly since these modules are subsidized by public funds. I’ll need to work on this.

For now, I’m just glad to have completed this round of training. Time to rest and recuperate.

Turkish delight

This is the first time I’m trying Turkish delight and I enjoy it so very much! Have always wondered what it tastes like since I read Chronicles of Narnia when I was in Primary 6 (1978?)! And I finally got the chance to eat it when a dear friend gifted it to me after his trip to Türkiye last week!

Yum yum!

Do you?

This is a very random post. Am posting this as I’m doing my morning walk - totally spontaneous:

• Do you wave to thank drivers who stop for you at a zebra crossing? 
• Do you pick up a snail from the middle of the road and place it in the grass? 
• Do you offer to share your umbrella with a stranger when it rains? 
• Do you fetch soy sauce from the hawker stall for an elderly person at your table who just said their porridge is too bland? 
• Do you watch where you step to avoid accidentally crushing anything - ants, for that matter? 
• Do you gently blow away mosquitoes that have landed on you, even when they’re already happily sucking your blood? 
• Do you help a butterfly with broken wings that lands on your shoulder by moving it to a safe spot among the greenery? 
• Do you volunteer your time to help someone who approaches you, despite your busyness?

These moments happen to me rather frequently, and my answer to all of the above is — yes, without hesitation. It’s something I do naturally, without a second thought, and I must say, I’m always glad I could be of help.

How about you?

Survived my first course

These past weeks have been rather hellish, culminating this week when I delivered my first virtual course. 

The course administration was a killer. I had to mark attendance, verify learners identity, operate and update the trainers' portal, manage the learners management system, etc while concurrently engaging the learners - it was insane! As for the learners, they came from all walks of life, were of varying seniority, work experiences, backgrounds, and nationalities. By the end of Day 1, I was completely drained. 

Day 2 started off slightly better as I managed the administration more efficiently, having learned my lessons from Day 1. But things got chaotic when my class couldn’t access the online assessment! I was literally sweating buckets, frantically calling technical support and my more seasoned trainer peers while trying every possible way to grant learners access. In the end, I started the assessment an hour late! 

I wrapped up the two-day course only to realize I had forgotten to get learners to complete one of the two course evaluations. Some even left before I inform them of their results and obtaining their acknowledgment resulting in my inability to complete my post-course administrations. It's been 2 days and I have yet to submit my post-course documents! 

Now, even as I’m rushing to complete post-course reports and compiling all the documents for submission - I am also preparing for another two-day module that will be held this weekend and a third module that will start next Thursday. I am feeling superbly exhausted right now! Sighs. 

Positively, this craziness should be temporary. The next run will be smoother as I get more familiar with the administration. And above all, I’m finally earning an income, and that’s one helluva good reason to stay calm and push on! So yeah, I’m embracing it all with a smile and a pat on my back. I survived. 

:-)

Mentoring

I signed up as a mentor with a volunteer organisation last month. The mentoring programme provided by this organisation supports students in navigating the job search process and is a collaboration between the school and the volunteer organisation. Successful applicants can then enrol in a diploma programme with the school. This initiative, led by MOE and the school, allows applicants to work (in an industry and role relevant to the course of study) on 4 days and attend lessons on 1 day per week.

The official duration for the mentoring programme is 6 months. However, as in all mentoring programmes, the mentor will end up mentoring the mentee beyond the "official" period given the relationship established. I expect this to be so for my case too as my mentee has decided to forego this current application window and to focus on the next application window that will start only towards the end of this year.

The programme coordinator seemed pretty chill about this even though technically the timeline stretches beyond the 6-month official timeline. I guess this "flexibility" is common amongst volunteer organisations? I didn't want to probe cos for me, the main aim is to help people, whether it is within the programme timeline or otherwise. So...

:-)

Training

It has been a crazy busy few weeks for me, and the rest of March looks just as packed! 

Over the next 2-3 weeks, I’ll be delivering three two-day courses virtually. To prepare for it, I’ve been reviewing training materials, developing learning activities, and internalizing the content - all while adapting to new materials. This has been especially challenging because the slides provided by the course developer (course owner) didn’t fully meet my expectations. As someone who focuses a lot on flow, congruence and look-and-feel, I found it difficult to follow the slides provided and thus had to redo the slide deck almost totally. 

That said, going through the slides, aligning the content with the learners’ guide and assessment guide, and making changes to the flow to better deliver the learning outcomes actually helped me absorb the content much faster. On top of that, I’ve had to familiarize myself with the technology, administration, and logistics of the courses - figuring out Zoom functions, using learning applications like Mentimeter and Google Slides, taking attendance via the portal, and managing assessment report submissions. 

As a new trainer, these extra layers of complexity made things more challenging, but I’ve also gained a lot from the process. At the end of the day, what matters most is delivering the course well and improving with each session. It’s been a whirlwind of prep, and now it’s time to see how it all comes together.

:-)

“Chineseness”

I’ve read before that when a community emigrates from its home country, its members often become more conscious of their cultural practices than those who stay behind. Over time, emigrants may even hold onto traditions more firmly than their compatriots back home. Many also retain a strong sense of nationalistic pride - something I saw in my grandparents’ generation, where many continued to look towards their homeland with deep affection, taking pride in their roots and even longing to return one day. 

This is evident in Singapore’s Chinese community, where certain customs and traditions - brought over by our ancestors - are still practiced, even though they have faded or disappeared in China. The same can be said of Singapore’s Indian community compared to those in India, showing how migration can not only preserve culture but sometimes even reinforce it. 

But not all emigrants take this path. While some hold on tightly to their heritage, others go in the opposite direction, distancing themselves from their roots. My tenant is a case in point. Despite being Chinese, he avoids many things that remind him of China. Other than speaking the language and eating Chinese food, he steers clear of traditional Chinese medicine, preferring Western medicine and supplements. He has also spent the past many years living overseas - in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, and now Singapore - with no desire to return to China.

Beyond just distancing himself, he seems somewhat embarrassed by China and its people. He often criticize the political system and the behavior of locals, as if trying to make it clear that he isn’t like those Chinese people. And yet, funnily enough, his circle of friends is still mostly PRC Chinese. It’s like he rejects certain parts of his identity, but at the same time, he can’t quite detach from it completely. 

I get the sense that he’s a product of his generation. Now in his 30s, he probably fits the mold of an “emperor child” - those born in the 80s and 90s under China’s one-child policy, often showered with attention and spoilt by their parents. And he has all the typical traits of a kidult! But I do think that, as he grows older, his identity as a Chinese will start to matter more to him. Many of us push away our cultural roots when we’re younger, only to find ourselves searching for them again later in life. 

Funny how that works, isn’t it?