Rotary Club of Marina City

Jan, President Lee Sheau Pin, and I

Haze from fires in Indonesia, downtown Singapore

Rotary Club of Bugis Junction

Today I got up very early to present at my host Rotary club: Bugis Junction. I had to get up very early to go. It was really hard and I kept telling myself, Bacon, Bacon and as I chanted bacon the sun rose and I made it to the meeting.

Me and Rotary Club of Bugis Junction

I gave my speech and then after another short speech they handed out Paul Harris Fellow recognitions. The picture is of me with my rotary banner, and them with their recognitions. They say it is their donations (to Paul Harris fund) to causes like that they let me study. I thank them and my home club for helping me study in Singapore.

President Nelson and me

They saved the trading of banners until the end of the day. I gave them mine but the hotel which they met in had miss placed theirs so they said next time they would give me one. My host could not make it to the meeting so he is not pictured.


Thank you Rotary Club of Bugis Junction for hosting me while I am in Singapore.

Rotary Club of Sentosa

 Jan and I did not have as much time to prepare for this speech. I have to admit that this suited me just fine. I don't really like to rehearse what I'm going to say. I just start getting nervous. So it is probably be better to rehearse but as it was the same speech it still went really well.

Me and Jan giving Presentation

The Sentosa Rotary club was really nice and Jan and I hope to get involved in their projects. Their current project is in Vietnam helping a small village set up a well for drinking water and renovating the school house so that it does not leak. It sounds like a really exciting project.

Jan and President Linda

President Linda, was wonderful, as were the other members of the club. Jan and I hope to be able to participate in events with them in the future.

Me and President Linda

Thank you Rotary Club of Sentosa for inviting us to speak.

Last Professional Skills Enrichment

Today was the last day of Professional Skills Enrichment and the first time I was late for class. It was also the one class that was actually any good. The Lecturer was Daniel's Mentor and though she is not the most personable, she is a very good lecturer. It was about cost benefit analysis and game theory. I actually understood game theory when she explained it and every time I heard of it in the past I really just didn't understand.

If she had been the lecturer for the entire trimester I probably would have gotten something from the course. However she was not so I really didn't get much. I have to admit it was my favorite class to play Spider Solitaire during, as well as Majong Tiles. So I know this is not the best way to spend my time but when the lecturer is not engaging it is better to stay awake than to fall asleep.

I am really glad this class is over. Exam next week, and hopefully I don't fail. I must do good on the exam so that I can write a Thesis.

IR Term Paper

So I had to write a 6,000 word term paper for my class in IR. I have to admit that I find this a little strange as the paper is only 4,000 words shorter than the max and 2,000 more than the thesis.

I wrote about non-state actors. Particularly human rights organizations and how the Internet could be helping them network and thus work more effectively to stop abuses. While, this is happening there are also some cases where the government also uses the Internet to oppress the citizens.

So I turned it in and now I am waiting to get it back. For some reason I would like an instant response. Even though I put it in the box earlier today I still think I should have it back about now all graded and ready to hand back.

This is not the way things work though. I am still waiting to get my book report back from Professional Skills I turned that in on the 29th of September. So they have had it for a while. Also it would be nice to have before the exam. Tomorrow is the last day of Professional Skills and I am thrilled about this. I really have not enjoyed the class. Then on the 20th is the exam. All those readings I sort of didn't do are going to be no fun.

The National Flower of Singapore

The National Flower of Singapore

The National Flower is called Vanda Miss Joaquim. It is an orchid. I have seen many orchids in Singapore, not growing wild. I even managed to almost kill one myself. It was the A/C in my room. It is doing quite well now that I moved it to the living room table.




A little history about the flower. Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen as Singapore's national flower in 1981. The designation of a national flower was part of an overall effort to foster national pride and identity. Singapore has the unique distinction of being the only nation to have a hybrid as its national flower.The Vanda Miss Joaquim was created in Singapore.

The botanic gardens had an entire area dedicated to the flower. It was a strange plant as it didn't really look like a normal orchid. The leaves and stem are spidery and more like a succulent than an orchid. However, the flower is very pretty.

Visit to the Botanic Gardens

Today Jan and I went to the Botanic Gardens with Maria Booey, from Victoria Rotary Club. We met Rachel another scholar there. She has been unable to meet with her Rotary club as her host is not in contact with her.

Me in the rain forest

Jungle of roots and vines

We walked through the Rain forest part of the gardens. It was nice to see what Singapore would have been like if it had not become such a huge city. It is strange to thing that Singapore was once a rain forest because there is so little that is not planed here. All of the trees are planted because they proved just the right amount of shade, and they don't drop their leaves so they are low maintenance.

Me with helaconia

The gardens themselves were very nice. We didn't walk through a lot of the gardens. Jan and I wanted to get back so we could work on essays. I have a 6,000 word essay due on the 12th and I am going to need all the time I can get to make sure it is finished on time.

Vines in the gardens thought it was nice how they hang

Me with statue

When we left the gardens Maria took us to the MRT station so that we could easily get back. There is no MRT near the gardens which is a shame, because if there was I would go much more often.

Kite Day and NTU Rotaract Instillation Dinner

Me, Jan, and Rachel try to fly a kite.

This morning we went to the West Coast Park for the Microsoft sponsored kite day for "the disabled and spastic children." I know that the term is a little strange for us but here it is a normal term. When we got to the park we directed people towards the kite area. At this point I have to admit that I felt a little worthless. Then I got to help people fly kites this showed that I really can't fly a kite. So sad as I it is something very common here.

President of Singapore

They told us the President of Singapore was coming and then they asked three of the scholars to volunteer.

Me hold the kite while the President Signs it.

This was the highlight of the kite day as I was really close to the Singaporean President. There is a Prime Minister above him, so I guess it would be more like holding something while the Vice President signed it but I was really close to him.

Ermano, Jan, Me, Bryan, Microsoft organizer, Sharron, and Rachel

Jan and I went and got ready to go to the NTU (Nanyang Technological University) Rotaract Instillation Dinner. It was a dress up event which I didn't realize for some reason. Silly me. At least I had some time to get ready. It was really warm in the West Coast Park and it would have been a disaster if I had gone straight from there to the dinner.

Jan and I with the incoming NTU Rotaract commity

The dinner was on a part of the campus that Jan and I had not been to before. It was easy to find though. We saw many of the people that we met at the Rotaract event we attended when we first arrived in Singapore. It was nice to see them all again.

The Marina Bay Sands Casino built by my team

The event itself was fun. The theme was Casino so we tried to build the Marina Bay Sands Casino. To give you some perspective this is a building that looks as though it has a boat on top of it. We were given chop sticks, a deck of cards, and tape to build it with. It was really pretty fun.

All of the buildings

I should note that we didn't win, but it was still fun to build it. Everyone else build theirs much taller than we did. I guess that is why we didn't win.

Derrik, Jan, me, and the Rotaract district president

When we first came in they gave us a card and told us there would be a drawing at the end. My number was not lucky. So sad. By the end there were two gifts left, wrapped I should note, and they said, now we will announce the best dressed male and female. I figured so much for winning anything. Then they called my name.

Best dressed Man and Me

I have to admit it was really nice to win something. Particularly since I did so with the only dress I had that was clean. It was almost laundry day.