Why can't students just READ instructions?!

I assigned my students to watch a documentary, and told them where they can access it on the syllabus. Last Friday, I wrote them a reminder email, and included the links and instructions on how to obtain the film again.

This morning, a student emailed me to ask where the film is and how she can access it.

*facepalm*

And we are only beginning Week 5. I'm pretty sure it's not my email server because I sent the email via the school's email portal, so it should get to all my students. Plus it's on the syllabus, which I told them to read. Yet, I've had a few of them email me similar questions regarding other assignments. Sometimes I just want to make a montage video of people asking "Why can't you just read instructions?! I just sent them to you!"

Okay, I won't. But it's tempting to do so. I'm sure other instructors will appreciate it ;)

His Perfect Atonement

I have sooooo much to blog about: Cambodia (again), the new semester, Guangzhou China...and those posts are coming, but for now, I hope you enjoy this poem by Kasey Hammer (Utah), published in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Liahona September 2015 issue (link HERE). I testify that Christ's atonement is real and that He is able to make us whole again, no matter the sin/ mistake/ trial.

His Perfect Atonement

I used to believe

That there was a hole

In Christ’s Atonement—

That He could save everyone—

Except me.

But I was wrong.

There is not one hole,

But seven.

Two holes in

His Hands

Where they nailed Him

To a cross

At the behest of those

He would die

To save,

Two holes in

His wrists

Where they ensured

The weight of His body

Would not cause

His hands

To rip through

Before His penance

Was complete,

Two holes in

His feet

Where He stood

As a witness to all

Of God’s unyielding love

For each

Of His children,

And one hole in

His side

Where they pierced Him

To prove His work

Was done.

Seven.

Perfection.

Seven perfect holes

In earth’s only

Perfect Man.

The perfect Atonement

To patch the holes in our lives.

His holes make us

Whole.

I was wrong.

There is a

Whole

In Christ’s Atonement

For me

After all.

Review of Universal Studios Singapore

When my friend visited Singapore, we went to Universal Studios Singapore (U.S.S). It was our first time there, and we had no idea what to expect. Thank goodness the day wasn't too hot (it even rained a little!), and we had packed food and water bottles.

Me, excited to be there, except that I forgot that I can take pictures in portrait mode, and so all my pictures with the iconic "Universal Studios" globe are cut off. #misskeeshfail. Don't ask me how I forgot to change modes... 

We arrived about a half-hour after the park opened, and immediately headed for the U.S.S.-only  "Battleship Galactica" twin roller-coasters. SUPER FUN! It was also the first time I sat an entire roller coaster ride with my hands up in the air-- woo hoo!!! As someone who has a deep phobia of heights, I loved that the rides relied on more on speed than height to provide the thrills. My friend doesn't suffer from the same fear as me, but she too enjoyed it. I recommend doing this first, because the line at the end of the day was unbelievable. 

Next up: The Mummy Roller Coaster. I LOVED THIS RIDE! It's a roller-coaster in semi-darkness, and man! Sooooo good. The line also moved fast, and at the end of the day, we sat the ride two more times and in the front row. Highly recommended! 

Other rides:

• Transformers 3D-simulator ride: Maybe I sat this at the wrong time (I had a small headache), so the ride was jerky, too long, and FAKE. After a minute, I was like, "Okay, I'm ready for this to be done. Is this really the best 3D effects they could come up with? Seriously?" But the little boys next to me loved it, so like I said, maybe it's just me. 
• Puss-in-Boots mini-roller coaster: This is a good family ride, even for children. A bit jerky. It goes pretty high up though, so make sure your kids don't sit at the edge.
• Jurassic Park water ride: Enjoyed it a lot! Bring a poncho because you WILL get wet. 
• Madagascar river boat ride: Sooooo cute and a good family ride.
• Shrek 4-D Adventure: BLAH. I was excited for this ride because, hello, 4-D, but it was terrible. Thank goodness we didn't wait long for the show.   

We also caught the 30 minute water stunt show in between rides. Discounting the LOUD cannons and gun fire, it was a great way to cool down with all that water splashed on us!

I got to pet a baby triceratops! *heart melt*

My sweetheart and I

The park isn't very big, and you can most likely squeeze everything into one day if you go during the non-peak season. The park is very well-done and clean, and I was most impressed by the attention to detail, such as signs like this:

Sign at Jurassic Park section. *adorbs*

And I loved that they provided FREE lockers for the more adult roller-coaster rides, so I didn't have to worry about storing my belongings. I've never been to a theme park that provided free lockers, so this was a pleasant surprise. 

Overall it was a blast, and I recommend it to any of my friends who are in Singapore! 

TIPS: 

- Be sure to pack a lunch because the food in there is super expensive!

- Make use of the drinking fountains to refill your water bottles.

- Go with friends who don't mind splitting up. I'm so glad it was just the two of us, and we are both pretty independent, so we stood in the "Single Rider" line. BEST SHORT-CUT EVER! Saved us a ton of time, and we only had to wait for each other a few minutes every time.  

Happy 50th Birthday Singapore!

First, this picture. YES.

Wish I knew who drew this so that I can give credit, but at least now my readers can get a glimpse of why the #1 craving of Singaporeans living overseas is FOOD. 

August 9, 2015-- Singapore celebrated its 50th birthday. YEAH!!! I'm thrilled that I was able to be home to celebrate this milestone. In honor of "SG50", the government declared a 4-day public holiday weekend. Many companies and government agencies also gave away huge discounts, and our entire public transportation system was free on August 9 itself (first time ever!). 

I was delighted that a friend visited Singapore over National Day weekend, even though we had not planned it. She seriously has great timing. We took long bus rides, MRT rides, went to the Singapore Botanic Gardens--which just became a UNESCO Heritage Site!-- and braved the massive crowds at Marina Bay where the parade was held at the Padang. 

Stunning picture by Sheng Long Lua

But you know what makes me proud? Is knowing that deep in our hearts, we are proud of how far we have come, and what we have accomplished. We will work together when push comes to shove, and though we complain like crazy about our politics/ policies/ the weather, there isn't another place we rather be. This is home, truly. 

Majulah Singapura! ("Onward Singapore")

The Good, the Bad and Funny of Coming Home

I'm home!!! I've been back in Singapore for a few weeks already, and so far, it's been good, bad, funny, and everything in between.

THE GOOD:
- Long Awaited Family Reunion. Between BYU, grad school and missions, it's been 8 years since my family has been together under one roof!

Newton Hawker Center
http://www.northernsights.net/

- I'm in food heaven. And you know what's awesome? Good local food is cheap! I enjoy eating at restaurants like everyone else, but I honestly don't mind if my friends took my hawker centers and coffee shops to eat too. Warning though: local food isn't healthy. Seriously. Must eat healthy home cook food some days.




- Church: it's nice to be back in my home congregation, though I miss my friends in the singles ward back in Columbus.

- I'm currently cellphone-less (until my sister returns to BYU and I take over her line), and initially I kicked up a fuss. But now, in a weird way, I feel liberated! Plus it holds my friends and I accountable to keeping our appointments since there is no way to contact each other if either party is late ;)

THE BAD:
- Since my sisters and I are sharing two bedrooms, there isn't closet space for my clothes, and I'm back to sleeping on the top bunk bed. Imagine me, an almost-30 year old, climbing up and down the bunk bed ladder... sigh. Nor is there cupboard space for my shoes.

You see the whole shoe cupboard? FULL of shoes of the rest of my family, and my poor shoes are shoved into the small corner (under the red arrow). Sigh... #firstworldproblems

- The horrid horrible horrifying humid heat. Waaaaaahhhhhhhh! I told my parents that I can adjust to everything back home except the weather. 

- The usual "As you study, must also keep your eyes out for that someone special *nudge*" from well-intentioned members. It used to not bother me, but it has gotten irritating. It's not as if I haven't kept my eyes out all these past years. I'm just tired of all the dating heartache and disappointment, and enjoying the perks of singlehood now.

THE FUNNY:
- This hanger:

Have you seen a hanger this big, big enough to hang a towel from it?! I don't know why but this hanger cracks me up. 

It's so big my head fits in it!

Also, it's nice to have a different perspective of world news from American newspapers. The main Singapore newspaper focuses more on news on Asia, and there a couple of articles that are just gems...(maybe there is so much censorship in the newspaper that they need filler articles?). Like THIS ARTICLE about how otters in Singapore, a rare sight for this island, (probably) ate about $80,000 worth of private koi fishes. It isn't funny to the owners of the fish, but *erherm* imagine telling people, "I lost $60,000 because an otter ate my koi fish..."

Or what about the article about a Chinese Librarian in China who replaced 143 paintings in the library with his own forgeries, and sold off the real goods, only to realize a few years later that his fakes were then stolen and replaced with even worse fakes. *Clap clap clap* Only in China. (I linked the Telegraph's article on the same issue cos I couldn't find the one in the Straits Times)

Whatever it is, it is really nice to be back.

Mormon History Association Conference 2015

Whoops- I actually wrote this post a few weeks ago, but totally forgot to publish, so it is finally here! Sorry. Also, in case you aren't following my other blog, I wrote another post a few weeks ago as well, talking about how I'm relieved that I'm not neurotic after all. Please check it out HERE. Thanks!

The Mormon History Association (MHA) held their 50th anniversary conference a few weeks ago at the newly-constructed Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo Utah, and I had the opportunity to participate in it. I had put together a panel, Mormonism Meets Asia, and was one of the presenters.

There were hundreds of people there. I felt lost at times, but thank goodness much of it involved going to presentations (so no speaking to others), eating (again, no speaking), and participating in a special choir for the Sunday morning devotional (singing is not speaking). Of course there were those "awkward" socializing sessions, but most people feel awkward about these things anyway. Sometimes, you just got to do what you got to do, even if it means being the green newcomer who has to introduce her/himself over and over again, and get left out at times. 

It also helped that on the second day of the conference I saw an old friend of mine. It was wonderful to catch up with her again, and we attended to a few sessions together. She's starting a PhD program in the Fall, and I was like, "Let me tell you about the mistakes I made as a graduate student, and hope you do not make the same mistakes, and have a 100x better experience than I did!" Seriously, if anyone knows of a new PhD student in the humanities, please send them to me for pre-graduate school pep talks. 

Anyway, back to the conference. Despite the awkward times, it was an enjoyable experience overall. I had received funding to stay in the hotel next to the convention center (Marriott), and thus could go back and forth with ease (i.e. naps in the afternoon). It was the first time I had stayed in a professional hotel by myself, and relished watching Food Network on cable TV, only to be disappointed that the show lineup for Food Network now is so lame and repetitive. Anyway, the room itself was clean and spacious, though nothing fancy. Can't complain since it was free! 

The first day was spent going on a Mormon women's history tour around Utah county, where we visited various former Relief Society Halls, historic homes in Provo, the Provo city cemetery, the Springville Museum of Art, and had a delicious Zupas-catered lunch. I was amazed that there were Relief Society Halls still standing, though in various states of disrepair. One of them had been converted to a car dealership (yuck!) while another is now a shed in someone's yard! Imagine that, having a Relief Society hall in your backyard... I also learned that Provo has some beautiful historic homes still standing, and it was cool to drive by and learn about their histories. Wish I knew about them when I was an undergraduate. We visited the graves of the first two female missionaries, Amanda Inez Knight and Lucy Jane (Jennie) Brimhall, at the cemetery, and was thrilled to learn about their mission calls and experiences. I absolutely love the tour, despite the cost ($85!), and am glad that the organizers pushed for it (it was almost cancelled!). 

I presented my paper the second day, and didn't realize that I was such a slow reader. I was only on page 4 (10 pages total) when the chair of the panel held up the "5 Minutes Left" sign. WHAT?!?!?! Sad that I had to rush through the remaining pages, which was the meat of my presentation. But I still managed to get my main points across, and based on what people told me afterward, I think they liked the paper. I also received good feedback which will be incorporated into my dissertation. 

Third day, more presentations and socializing. I also took the opportunity to meet up with Provo friends at night. Fourth and final day (Sunday), we had a special music devotional. For the final song, volunteer MHA participants joined with the Utah Baroque Ensemble and sang a specially commissioned choir piece commemorating the association's 50th Anniversary. I kept having second thoughts about joining the choir because the piece was HARD! Definitely not a song for an amateur choir. But I'm glad I stuck with it, because it turned out good. The devotional was also spiritually uplifting, and it was wonderful to hear testimonies borne through music and song. 

I'm glad I went, and hope to attend again next year (depends on funding...it's always about the money). I will say this though, I never felt so Asian/ non-white in my life. During the women's history tour, we filled up an entire bus, and I was the only non-white there. There wasn't even a Latina or Polynesian woman. In another instance, at the graduate student reception, I was one of the few racial minorities present, while the remaining 40(?) were white. I also noticed that the panels on International Mormonism were assigned smaller rooms. It's understandable since the topic is 1) still new, and 2) there is still much history to do examining U.S. Mormon history. We are only just beginning to get out of the 19th century and into the 20th century, so don't even talk about going outside the United States' borders. 

However, I think this is a reflection of how much more there is to do when it comes to Mormon history. There is a HUGE need for more diversity, both in terms of historians and in terms of historical topics. The interest is there though, because some of the sessions on International History filled up quickly, and left late-comers standing. Hopefully this will encourage more people to explore this topic. 

My Loyal Car is Revolting Against Me!

Good News: I'm flying home today back to Singapore, and will be there for a year to do research. In fact, I'm currently at the LA airport on an 8 hour layover (URGH!), eating lunch and blogging. It's a horrible layover but hey, hooooome!

Bad News: My 15 year old car has served me well for the past 5 years, and in return I try to take good care of it by maintaining it regularly, giving it good gas, etc. But my car is revolting against me because of the abuse I afflicted upon it driving from Ohio to Utah.

The revolt started when I reached Provo, whereupon my stereo broke down. I can only say that I'm grateful God preserved the stereo until I reached my destination, so I didn't have to make the long drive using my phone's music. Thank goodness my speakers work, so I just need to replace the stereo.

A few weeks later, I went in for an oil change and tire rotation, and I have no idea what the mechanic did, but my brakes started squeaking and making a weird grinding noise. What did that mechanic do to my car?

Then on Saturday, my air conditioning stopped working. It was about 100 degrees outside, and I had to wind down my windows to get moving air in (I wouldn't call it wind because it was just hot air circulating). It was miserable driving this past weekend.

My poor car... When I return, I'm going to send it for a full check up and repair session. Let's just hope it can hold up this year until I return.