(This isn't a joke, this is Singapore!)I just got an e-mail with the title: NOT JUST ANOTHER ROAD SAFETY TALK

Calling all student motorists and motorcyclists,
This is not just another run-of-the-mill road safety talk!
Free door-gifts * await you while you come and:

Learn a thing or two on the mechanisms of driving, which should come in handy for you to navigate safely at certain "more challenging" road junctions on campus
or
Listen to firsthand analysis (more than just news reporting) from the road traffic specialist on two recent notable traffic accidents that happened on campus
or
Receive a refresher on accident statistics and the common causes of accidents

NTU SAFETY AND SECURITY STEERING COMMITTEE

* Limited to the first 80 participants

The days and weeks are going too fast. one week left before the mid-semester weeks holiday (sept 1st), which will either be spent visiting Tom and Dave from Hull, studying Thai at ChangMai University, or on a two day sailing course here, or something else, as I havn't decided. I would have to fly to thailand, as its about 3 days return travel away, so would eat up most of my week, I'd like to go back to Laos, even just for a few days, which is near Changmia. Aflight would be 100 pounds return. Or I could get bus to malaysia, fly to the top of malaysia, bus to thailand, and then train to changmai, only 2 days return that way!? maybe spend the 100 pounds...


so. My lesson for the week: Do not use mains power when filming in a lift.


We set our scene in a lift for a video project, was all going well until someone called the lift to the 3rd floor. The doors start to shut on the cables, and we assume it can't shut because they are in the way. then we start to move up! and the camera starts sliding towards the door, along with Sussan, who's got the mixer around her neck and is about to be strangled, we hit the second floor and luckily the cables snap. we get back to the first floor, the doors open and the 3 loose ends (yes we snapped 3 cables!) hit the floor. All was ok thought, a bit of creative editing and we'll patch up the story without the last few shots. luckily we were filming in a different order, so we already had the end shots.


ok, midnight here, so off to bed. Chinese is going well, getting lots of practice in, I can now talk about where I'm from, and who my family are. just starting to write the characters. Got a cool idea about starting an immersive language school, will elaborate when I have more time.


John

The lack of diary has been caused by too much work.
I decided to do 6 subjects in the end:

Business Law
Organisational Behaviour and Design (OB)
Principles of Economics
International Relations of Asia Pacific
Basic Audio and Video Production
Mandarin Chinese

And after a few panic attakcs that I'd taken on too much, I have finally settled down into a work routine, which gives me a few minutes spare to write a diary. I'm not used to humanities courses that involve so much reading. I have about 3 and a half hours of reading per day, and I am not the fastest reader, in fact until now I'd probably read under 50 complete books in my life. It was something I always got out of. But now I have to read if I want to understand, and the more I do, the faster I get.

I read "the ascent of man" by Jacob Bronowski on my way here, a really good book about the history of how we have come to be. Tracking our advances from stoneage mans to the invention of the wheel, to isaac newton, charles darwin right up to DNA and cloning. A really gppd book for putting things into perspective.

The other reason why I have time to write a blog is because I bought a computer. I was going to buy a laptop, but decided it would never leave my room here, so would be wasted. Then I though I'd get a desktop, but needed a powerful one to edit video on, then I thought I'll get a PDA (digital organiser) and a phone to keep in touch with people. After hours of shopping, I decided to save my money as I should be working and wouldn't have any time to play with any of the stuff. Then last week I found the public buy/sell folder on the internal e-mail system with loads of second hand stuff on it. Last week a friend went to Thailand and lent me her laptop, it reminded me how good it was to have a computer. I decided I just needed the bare minimum, a pc for e-mailing and internet, (I can do video editing in uni) and a phone to keep in touch, so I bought a phone for $50, (20 pounds)_and an old pc fpr $350 (150 pounds). So I'm now set and can start replying to some of the e-mails that have been building up. It was nice to be away from phone and e-mail for a while, but life does run so much smoother when you are in touch with people. My handphone (or mobile in english!) is +65 92405349. 65 is for singapore, you may have to take of the 9 after it. I think you need to put the plus in. You can text from the usual price of 10p. Reception is not too good, as I'm on the cheapest network.

I'm involved with Channel NTU, the uni TV station, which starts broadcasting daily programs from september 14th. It's great fun, getting some good experience in editorial and production. It fits nicely with the audio video subject I'm doing. Shot some footage for a program on international students I suggested, but had to do it twice as the mic wasn't working, very frustrating. editing it next week. Also writing an article for the Nanyang Chronicle, the student newspaper, on exchange students. This is all in the school of communication and information SCI, which is new and very nice, with 2 tv and 2 radio studios inside, plus other audio studios and pc labs for editing. My other subjects are in the business school mostly, plus international relations which is in the Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies.

International relations is by far the most interesting subject. It's just 2 hours per week, but each week sees a different lecturer who specialises in a particular field, come and talk to us. First week was about ASEAN - association of South -Easet Asian Nations, bit like the EU for Europe. Last week was on US/CHINA/JAPAN as possible superpowers. It really puts the world into a new light and makes you think on a different level about things.

Tomorrow, Friday 9th August, is national day (been here 5 weeks already!) so we have a day off to celebrate the independance and founding of singapore. big celebrations at the national stadium. Won't be going though, going to have a rest I think. Saturday, I \'ll be going to get my eyes tested, and hopefully get some glasses, which might even improve my reading speed? Economics is the toughest class by the way, mainly because of all the maths involved, which I need to work double hard at. We had a BBQ in our hall 1, a few weeks ago, lots of international students came. Most singaporeans go home on Saturdays (everywhere is within an hours drive as the island is so small) so its a good time for the international students to meet. Went to the night Safari last Saturday. it's one of Singapores top tourist attractions, I was expecting something really tacky, but it was great, under a tenner to get in, and really worth while, loads of animals and they do a good job of looking like they are not in captivity as the little train chugs you around the different environments. The fishing cats were the best I think, leaping into the water for their supper, unaware of you watching.

weather - humid, hot, thundery - nice.
food - great, lots of variety, cheap (1- 1.50 pounds for a good meal)
people - friendly, hard working, noisy.
location - out of town, nice, don't go into town that much
room - comfortable, but had a rat walk through the door last night! very unusual, as this place is ultra clean, they are calling pest control.

I've cut down from 8 to 7.5 hours sleep to fit the workload in. that's nothing though, most students here get 5 or 6 hours sleep, then sleep in the library or computer room durin ght eday, you often see people withtheir forehead stuck to the desk. me - I prefer to sleep in my bed... or somone elses. But I do need a normal amount of sleep. I can listen to the radio again, on the internet, which is really good after a month with no news, I wasn't even reading the Straits times, singapores main newspaper, or wtching TV, so I'm a bit unaware of happenings lately. I turn on radio 4 when I have my breakfast at 8am, and its very wierd to hear the national anthem played and them handing over to the world service, as it's 2am in the uk! But good, as I get to hear the world news then....

ok, all done. bye for now, John X