OELP Overview

Non CID-post: Science Practical Reflection.

 

The reflection I am going to write is about the second biology practical we have had. The practical was about testing the presence of some substances by using indicators or tests. The substances we were testing for were reducing sugars, protein, fat or oil and starch. To test for reducing sugars, 2cm3 of Benedict’s solution was added to 2cm3 of glucose solution, which were then shaken well, and put into a boiling water bath. There are reducing sugars when the benedict’s solution has a brick-red precipitate. To test for proteins, we added 2cm3 of sodium hydroxide solution to 2cm3 of egg albumin solution, or also known as egg white, and shook the resulting mixture well. We then added 1% copper (ii) sulfate solution dropwise and shook well with each drop. This test is also known as the Biuret test. If there is protein present, there should be violet coloration present. To test for starch, we added 2 drops of iodine solution into 2cm3 of starch suspension. The iodine solution turns blue-black if starch is present. To test for the presence of fats/ oils, we conducted the Ethanol-emulsion test, where we added 2cm3 of ethanol to 2cm3 of oil, and shook the mixture well. After which, we added 2cm3 of water. If there was a white emulsion formed, then fat or oil is present. Water was used as a control for all four experiments, so that we could have evidence that the reaction in a solution was due to something that was not present in other substances.

  This practical was one of the most challenging practical I have done. The number of substances that are required for this practical contributed to the difficulty of the practical, as I had to remember which substance was which, as they bore similar appearances. The similarity in appearance between the substances confused me as to what test I was doing, as I was afraid of adding the wrong thing to the wrong substance. The time limit set by the teacher also added to our stress and made us pressurized, hence increasing our chance of mistakes. Handling and manipulating so many test tubes at once was a problem, hence we ended up having a higher rate of test tube breakage than our other practical lessons. Through this practical, I have learnt how to use time efficiently, example would be to boil water while setting up the experiment. This experiment allowed me to have a try at keeping a cool head under pressure. I feel that these can be useful for our future practicals.

E and C week reflection

"Experiencing another's culture may open doors that were previously closed... but the choice to walk through those doors is entirely up to you"

  This E and C week, we had the chance to go to Little India, Kampong Glam and Madrasah Aljunied. We were exposed to different cultures, traditions and religions that we were not commonly exposed to before the trip.

  The most impactful lesson I experienced was the tour of the Masjid Sultan, the Sultan Mosque. Aside from the structural aspects of the mosque, we were taught the background and history of the mosque, and a brief introduction to Islam. We found out that the mosque is actually facing the direction of Mecca, their sacred city, and that the mosque is actually symmetrical. The guide then went on to explain that Islam also emphasises on balance, which allowed me to think of a similarity between Islam and another Chinese faith, Taoism. Taoism emphasises a lot on balance and symmetry as well. Even though the two religions or faiths originated very far from each other, they share some similarities in beliefs. Could symmetry and balance be the universal criteria of perfection? There was too much of a confidence for two religions that originated in regions poles apart to think of the same criteria. Then again, Taoism originated much earlier than Islam, and by that time the Silk Road has been established, hence ideas may have been passed on from either countries or regions via the Silk Road, and integrated into their religions. Another thing I learnt was that Islam was actually an Abrahamic faith, which is to say, they believe in Jesus. This actually took me by surprise as I had once thought that Islam was an entire type of religion by itself. However, it has some differences to Christianity, that it potrays Jesus as a messenger of God. The similarities between the two religions may have their reasons. It may be because that the two religions originated in the Middle East, and hence the ideas of a religion may have influenced the other. Also, I found out that our guide was actually Chinese (and actually spoke better Mandarin than we did), and he was Muslim as well. This broke the stereotype that Muslims are Malays.

  Sometimes, I felt that when we were interviewing someone, we did not actually have enough time to jot down whatever they said, and in the haste of jotting down the notes, we may miss out on some points the person we interviewed may have said. Hence, I feel that the programme can be better improved by not actually letting us write on the booklet, but provide other platforms for us to effectively note down what the people we interviewed said.

  I feel that the main objective of this programme is to expose us to the different cultures and traditions of different races and religions. Being in an SAP school, we study and spend most of our day in a relatively Chinese environment, and are continuously exposed to only Chinese cultures and elements. Hence, when it comes to other cultures, we may be akin to a frog in a well, not aware of the other cultures, not being culturally sensitive, which are important elements in order to have peace with people from other cultural or racial backgrounds. Only when different races and religions understand the cultures and traditions of other races and religions can we have racial harmony which is very important for a multi-racial country such as Singapore. The experiences throughout the entire week have allowed us to achieve these objectives. By going to places where a particular culture are abundant and by asking the people with a deep background on that culture, we can gain knowledge of that race firsthand, and get a taste of what living that culture out would be, thus better understanding the culture.

  By remaining open to any information I receive, I am able to accept and understand the different cultures, as I would not be prone to any form of rejection, disgust or scorning, and can try to think further as to why this particular custom or tradition exists.

  That brings me to the quote on the top of this post. I feel that this quote applies not only to the acceptance and understanding of other cultures, but in he learning of numerous other things. Numerous great opportunities that give you a chance in building up your knowledge may come our way. However, to take those opportunities very seriously and having an open mind to recieveing and processing information. No one can force us to learn, to absorb whatever information we are fed. The choice lies in us.

What I think represents Singapore

I feel that this picture represents Singapore. It depicts Singaporeans of different races, taking the pledge together. I feel that it represents our unity. Even though the people in the picture are of different races, backgrounds, they are still standing and taking our pledge as one.

Cultural forces of the Chinese

  Culture is the thing that diffrentiates one culture from another. It is something that makes a group of people unique, something that makes them stand out from other people. It is also something that forms our identity, and may shape our personalities as a whole. However, what develops a culture? Those are known as cultural forces.
  In the long history of China, there will be many events that may be essential to the culture of the time period. One of the not so obvious in modern times, but a nevertheless essential cultural force are the dynasties of China. Most of the chinese traditions stemmed from the dynasties of China. For example, the Tang dynasty made chinese poetry popular, as it was integrated into the lifestyles of the scholars and commoners. Henceforth, it became part of Chinese culture, and is being used as a teaching material even today. The events during the Three Kingdoms period inspired a writer to write one of China's four most popular novels, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which are still highly popular today and read by many.
  Another cultural force is the Xinhai Revolution. That revolution overthrew the last emperor of China and ended the last dynasty of China, the Qing Dynasty. That revolution changed the way China was governed, and hence influenced modern chinese thinking.
 

My perception on the similarities and differences in the cultures of China and Singapore.

Chingay reflection

We went for the Chingay parade rehearsal on the 21st of January. It was at the F1 pitstop, and it was raining rather heavily. The theme for this year's Chingay parade is Soundwaves Chingay, WeCare Singapore.
  The parade made me think back and reflect on the culture of Singapore. the Chingay parade was originally meant for the Chinese, as the first Chingay parade started after the ban of firecrackers was imposed. The Chingay parade was supposed to help keep the festive spirit of the Chinese New Year as high as ever, even without the firecrackers. Today, it has evolved into a multi-cultural parade, with ethnic groups from all over the world such as Japan, South Korea and even Yakutia.

  Singapore is famed as a multi-cultural society. I feel that this parade actually reflects the cultural aspect of Singapore, that it is really a melting pot of different cultures, not just the Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures, but many other cultures from other countries as well.
  However, are we truly a multi-cultural society that can accept and understand the culture of others? Or are we simply just tolerant of one another and not speak ill of other cultures in public? I feel that it is the latter that is the case. Often, I hear complains that the neighbour‘s curry is "too smelly", or the malay wedding downstairs is too noisy. To be truly a multi-cultural society, we must accept the different cultures and understand. Only then, in my opinion, can we achieve racial and cultural harmony.