My Weekly Key-To-Do

I started a weekly key-to-do list - some months ago. It is a list of key tasks which I need to complete for the week. It wasn't easy at first. But I guessed it was a necessity, after I shortlisted this one main habit I need to pick up after attending the course on '7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. There were weeks in which I deviated from the task, choosing the easier way out to tackle the urgent tasks on hand on a Monday morning. There were weeks I felt demoralised because I slacked and did not follow up on any key tasks.

But I persevered. A few weeks become a few months and now, it has become a habit. Having completed my Weekly Key-To-Do early this morning, it felt like a sense of accomplishment. I have walked so far to create this newly formed habit. Have I consistently cleared all key tasks? No. But have I become a more organised person? Yes. Nowdays, I constantly look at my Weekly Tasks, tackling some of these key tasks one by one. There would always be roll-overs to next week, but at least I was conscious (and probably guilty) of the the tasks that cumulated.

This new habit did not make a Highly Effective Person overnight. In fact, it took me months to master this habit. And yet having done that, it has only made me a more organised person (because I segment my tasks according to the different priorities & categories), a more self-aware planner (because I constantly have an overview of all my key activities and deliverables), and a more efficient worker (because I would always look back at my list and avoid that possibility of doing more trivial tasks).

Planning Early for Holiday has Its Benefits

I usually plan early for holidays. But due to a tight schedule that both Sy and I have, we procastinated the planning for a holiday until recently. Because of the last minute plans, I had so much trouble in securing and confirming the plans for a 3D2N nearby staycation. Some of my troubles include:

1. Intense Number of Hours put in. Over the past week, I have put in a total of 9 hours doing research on the number of places we can stay in. This included an intense 4 hour search I put in today - to finalise the hotel stay.

2. Change of Holiday Plans. One disadvantage of a last-minute holiday plan is that the places you want to go to - are all fully booked. I have to constantly look for alternatives, such as considering the possibility of changing the dates or making it a extended 2D1N stay.

3. High Prices for Accommodation & Transport. Air tickets were out of the question. Airlines charge an exorbitant price for short-haul flights. The prices for getting you into the air can cost as high as a four-digit sum for a 90-minute economy class trip for you. Accommodation-wise, you are not given offers. And for peak seasons, one hotel even charged an additional $73 per night because of a Public-Holiday surcharge,

4. Lack of Accommodation. Many hotels were fully booked. For those that were not fully booked, they displayed a high price - one that I did not seem too comfortable paying for. One such place we wanted to go was Bintan Resorts. However, all of Bintan's numerous resorts were fully booked. In the end, even though I could 'squeeze' out the availability of some ferry tickets, such plans have to be cancelled due to hotels being 'Full-House'.

Research for a Holiday was never easy. Today, I just concluded one of my harder sessions in holiday planning. Let's hope I have learnt my lesson - never to do last-minute planning for a holiday!

Oblivion - Questions to Ponder

Oblivion is a 2013 American science fiction film whose storyline was based on the plane Earth being attacked by aliens known to humans as the Scavengers. Tom Cuise takes on the role of Technician #49 Jack Harper, who is one of the last few humans stationed on the planet. Jack carries out the maintenance and support of 'drones' who are autonomous airborne machines that patrol the landscape .

I read the movie synopsis to better understand the proceedings within the movie. I watched the movie in a comfortable newly-opened, half-empty theatre - GV City Square. As the images of the movie seemed so lifelike that it intrigued me, I started to wonder about the future.

1. What if the moon is destroyed one day? Will Earth still function as normally as it does today?
2. What if we undergo a "security wipe" to erase our memories? How much past will we retain? Or how new a leaf can we become?
3. What if clones of the fittest are carried out? Does it mean humans no longer need to worry about their existence or the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution?
4. What if we lose our sense of curiosity? Does the mere function of our existence, without the occasional pause to appreciate beauty, equate us to clones or even robots?

Maybe we have been too comfortable with our environment that we have been oblivious about our possible future.... Or are we too oblivious about the comfort of our surroundings?

What Type of Leader am I?

13 days in a 'boot' camp leading 26 students has allowed me reflect my abilities as a leader. It's difficult to receive a consensus on how great a leader I have been, because everyone sees the same person in so many different ways. There were many situations during the day in which I take charge of the entire situation, hence I asked - where do I stand as a leader?

Just and Fair - I see myself as impartial. I give no exceptions to anyone. For e.g., there was a female student who sprained her ankle and could not receive the certification by a doctore. Not making any exceptions, I told her the requirements needed to go for the trip. I asked if I could have been stricter and more 'by the books', and the answer was a YES, though I decided to add some humanity when tackling such compassionate issues.

Leading by Example - I see myself as an explemary leader. Having stressed the importance of punctuality to them, I remembered the countless situations in which I make myself available at the meeting locations 5 minutes before the stipulated time. There was an above-average student whom I gave a tougue-lashing, because he went to buy some food and returned late during the pit stop. Maybe it was my need to justify the "if I can do it, so can you" mentality. Or was it my stickiness to compliance.

Charismatic - I believe that if the students can understand the rationale behind each activities, they will be motivated to do their best. I always believe in talking to the students, even if it is just for a minute before each meal so that they can constantly feel the importance of service-learning and be guided under a visionary leader to do their best. Somehow, I know I am not the most inspiring speaker yet, but I strive to be one. What I lack is the constant reminder to start each message on a bright note before delivering the 'content' within each speech. I guess I will eventually arrive there - as I work on my openings.

Discovering More About Myself

I discovered more about myself through dealing with others. What I noticed about myself is that (i) I like to observe how people interact; Often, I would share with J how I felt about the entire team and their bonding thus far - I tend to focus on the social side of a team's outcome, and (ii) I view people with a certain level of standards, and when they fail to reach that standard, I condemn them.

As I focus on the latter, I remembered many instances of the trip in which I was furious with the female student leader. On countless occasions, she failed to attain standards that were expected of a basic human being, let alone a role model for others. J stopped me from confrontations on several of these instances, otherwise, I could have imagined a showdown between me and her.

Basic rules are there for all to follow, but to show disrespect on countless occasions led me to conclude that she didn't learn anything from this trip & I knew I have 'lost' this student. These were some occasions that made me furious:

1. She went into the guys' hut many times, despite my repeated verbal warnings to her,

2. She smoked in her girls' hut, despite the allocated smoking corner that we have all agreed upon.

3. She came down late several times, despite my reminders to the entire team on punctuality.

4. She was even absent once for breakfast, and no one knew what happened to her.

5. She took the front passenger seat of the car, even when I told her that it was meant for the host.

6. She spoke loudly asking her friends for payment, when the village head was having that short conversation with us.

7. She failed to update us constantly on her deliverables, though all other sub-teams managed to do so with daily progress updates.

Considering the long list of 'offences' she committed, I viewed myself as a highly tolerant person. Or maybe I have accepted how I can condemn a person without confronting her myself. I actually treated her as invisible. I thought of calling her 'animal names', but I reckoned that even animals know what self-respect is. If asked to choose between peace (i.e. to avoid the confrontation) and transform (i.e. to change her), I have chosen the former. Maybe harmony was what I sought for. (Or maybe one more final straw could have made me blow my top?)

Though if I had the choice, I would have never selected her for the trip. Indeed I have learnt to see one less person on this Earth.

Treated like a VIP and treating VIPs

Being treated like a VIP was what I expected least. However, when I started my Service-Learning trip, I felt as I was in paradise. As I was expecting some form of hardship, I wasn't expecting for anything special. The first example came in the form of our 1st night of stay. I had visualised that I would be sleeping with the boys. Hence, when all the boys were allocated one bamboo house to sleep for the night, I was prepared to bring my sleeping bags & my baggage into the hut. However, the host kindly pointed out that both J and me can sleep in the special 'hut' meant for 2.

Other nights were no different. For e.g., all of us were given a resort to stay in for most of our nights thereafter. We were here to experience some form hardship, thus when I saw the luxury that was 'issued' to us, I asked if students were learn to experience the comfort at its most basic level. In addition, the resort owner issued a room meant for 6 people when there was only J and me. 

As if we represent a superb team of Singapore, we were brought to many places in Chiang Rai to meet important people and experience culture. We met up with a University Chancellor, another professor, 3 tourism directors, an army chief, 3 village heads, a globally-acclaimed movie director, an expert bird-watcher and the list goes on.

I wasn't sure that we should receive such VIP treatment, but I definitely had to respond in a positive manner. In many ways, I wasn't prepared - I could have been dressed more appropriately in some scenarios; I could have prepared more corporate gifts and 'better-looking' ones. But toastmasters taught me how to give impromptu speeches. Thankfully, I mastered the art of public speaking - in all situations, I seemed to have fared well. I also practised the art of small talk coupled with humour - that came in handy when I have to listen attentively and break down a Thai-conversation with simple English.

Being treated like a VIP was my honour, as words of 'thank you' were used to show my appreciation in every possible way. Treating VIPs was my learning journey, as I wondered what this unique Service-Learning Trip has given in terms of exposure and opportunities to interact with the elite from all walks of life.

Adjusting to my 1st Night in Chiang Rai

The first night in a foreign place is always the worst night, because we are left on our own to adjust to the vast differences in living conditions. I have mentally prepared myself for the worst and that helped. When we arrived at Chiang Rai International Airport, we were all brimming with energy. But as the night sinks in, we slowly adjusted to the new norm of having to live without comfort.

The first difference we experienced was the sleeping conditions. The base of our house comprised of wooden planks, thus making the floor creek whenever we walk around. A thin comforter was provided as the base, and that was why we prepared our personal sleeping bag. Many of my students were restless for the first night and I wondered if it was due to the lack of sleeping comfort.

The second difference was our toilet conditions. 14 people to 2 toilets was one of the issues we have to grapple with, though having to bathe at night in cold water was a bigger issue that we struggled to adjust to. I remembered taking my bath at approximately 8pm. Making my way in the dark to the toilet seemed easy, but having to scoop water and then pour it over myself was my biggest challenge of the night.

The third difference was the drastic change in weather. It was hot and dry when we arrived at 4pm. My guess of the temperature would be 33 degrees Celsius. And when the night came, the temperature reads 16 degrees Celsius on a cool breezy night. Whilst students love this, it should be noted with caution that our bodies need time to adjust to the drastic change in temperature between day and night.

One last difference was the food. Having gotten used to the diverse range of fast food in Singapore, one must now be contented with porridge filled with chicken and mushroom as a sumptous breakfast to start the day. As I thanked them for preparing meat in the morning, I wondered if I have taken the simple things in life for granted.

An Analysis of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport

As I transit at Bangkok to go to Chiang Rai, I had a transfer time of approximately 4 hrs, longer than the total of my flight times. I wondered if there were better flight timings available, but reckoned that the travel agency has done its due diligience that we reached Chiang Rai in an effective manner. Nevertheless, I took on the task of analysing how this airport has fared in terms of planning and design. A 4 hours' wait at this airport and I came up with 4 main observations

BKK's airport consist of 1 huge terminal. It operates in a centralised concept and does not have several terminals, unlike airports similar to its size. Adv: Savings in resources, as resources are optimally managed within 1 terminal instead of several. Disadv: The control & deployment of resources can be slow, as walking distances become significant as the size of the terminal increases. I remembered the length of endless travellators within the terminal.

BKK's airport terminal hosts both international and domestic flights. Adv: Passengers save time in transiting between such flights. The Minimum Connecting Time (MCT) between international and domestic flights can be significantly reduced, as passengers do not need to exit from the terminal. Disadv: This increases the size of the terminal & decreases the amount of aircraft access of the terminal, as compared to having separate terminals.

BKK's airport has a separate level for departure and arrival passengers. Adv: Passengers do not mingle with one another, hence improving security. Disadv: More space is required within the terminal to create the distinction between arriving and departing passengers

BKK's domestic airport's retail facilities operate in a Central Hub Concept. Adv: All shops and eateries are located in 1 place, increasing the passengers' convenience. Disadv: Non-aeronautical revenue is not maximised, especially since the terminal operates in a pier configuration.

Chiang Rai, here I come!

It has been a dream come true for me to complete the Service-Learning trip at Chiang Rai, Thailand. 9 months ago, my student approched me and asked if I wanted to be their leader for such a trip. From then on, work began - for the search for another leader, more students, preparatory work, liaision with the NGOs, etc. Many asked why I wanted to do it. I asked - why not? There are so many reasons why one should go for such trips.

For myself, it boiled down to these 4 main reasons:

1. I want to walk the road less traveled

I love traveling since I was young. Having visited more than 30 cities over 5 continents, I asked if there are more roads left unexplored. I wanted to view places that Singaporeans have not seen & experience culture that Singaporeans have not tried. The chance came in this village off the east of Chiang Rai. Having to transit via Bangkok just to reach Chiang Rai (CEK), the total duration from SIN to CEK took us a massive 8.5 hours. If I asked who has been to BKK, all would have raised their hands, but if I asked who has been to Phu Chi Fa, all would have asked what's that.

2. I want to learn more from other parts of the world.

Maybe it was the thought of getting more stupid that prompted to live life. Well, it worked. I wished to go for such trips ever since my university days. But I guess the lack of actions and the fear of the unknown never allowed me to take that big leap. I ever signed up for YMCA's Cambodia Volunteering Trip, but work commitments and the lack of priority prevented this dream from being realised. I know that there are endless amount of knowledge I can harness from such trips & I was right. Maybe I am now trying my best to move up the 'knowledge' ladder afterall.

3. I want to better appreciate my current life

There are times when we take the Singaporean life for granted. Living in a comsopolitan city, I asked myself if we are way too comfortable in the way we lead our lives, even quarelling over the most trivial matter. MacDonalds' over KFC, NEX over Junction 8, iPhone over Samsung, etc. I know that such trips would open my eyes to learn how the people in such villages are contented with their simple way of life. Nothing beats learning from them in a first-hand encounter.

4. I want to contribute back to the community and touch others in meaningful ways
To learn and receive was what I gained, to teach and contribute was what I gave. In short but inspiring encounters, I gave meaningful English lessons and played with children. In addition, I spoke to village chiefs, directors, university heads, etc to help each of them in whatever ways I can. To touch their lives during my journey is heartening, but for my work to help them improve their lives is my true honour.