finally! graduation!

after being together in the "turbo group" for 2 years, we all finally graduated! here's my cert...





our group started in 2005, before even ng5 birthed into ng5 & ng6. organised 2 events together - a comcare event at punggol primary school and moments, a new year's countdown event. i formed some good ole memories with this group - cn, dennis, huiyang, peiks, lindy, shireen & viv. :)

told my boss today

i told him that i'd be leaving soon, and why i'd be leaving. he was quite surprised, but very supportive of what i'd be going to do. he told me that his wife had spent some time teaching english in china before he met her in grad school. he's quite a cool boss. :D i'm quite sorry to leave his lab.

namecards from kids

i taught my first cg in hopekids today. 'cos i don't know their names, i asked them to write their names on cards. some of them turned it into namecards for me.



so nice of them. :D

more on the earthquake

At least 337 dead, hundreds injured following major quake off Peruvian coast

(CNN) -- Rescuers in Peru frantically combed through rubble Thursday for possible survivors from Wednesday evening's powerful earthquake that struck off the coast, killing at least 337 people and injuring 1,350, officials said.

The U.S. Geological Survey, which originally put the quake's strength at 7.9 magnitude, has upgraded it to 8.0.

President Alan Garcia said the worst destruction appeared to be in Canete, Chincha and Ica. He declared at a state of emergency, and said the government is going to "ensure that regional and local governments, civil defense institutions and ministries can spend what they need to, rapidly and immediately."

Giorgio Ferrario of the International Red Cross said the organization has sent an assessment team to the area. A major highway along the coast was nearly destroyed, and rescuers were severly hampered by fallen debris.

source: CNN


just called them. aili and serene spoke to me. they said that in their area you'd hardly know that a quake had hit. but schools are closed for the day to check if the buildings are ok, so serene and delia have today off.




we don't get much training what to do during earthquakes in singapore, so i Googled what to do in an earthquake. it turns out that when one lives in an earthquake-prone country, one has to not only know what to do during and after the quake, one also has to be prepared before that.

the following site has summarised the important points well.

What Should I Do Before, During, And After An Earthquake?

What to Do Before an Earthquake Make sure you have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries at home. Learn first aid. Learn how to turn off the gas, water, and electricity. Make up a plan of where to meet your family after an earthquake. Don't leave heavy objects on shelves (they'll fall during a quake). Anchor heavy furniture, cupboards, and appliances to the walls or floor. Learn the earthquake plan at your school or workplace.

What to Do During an Earthquake Stay calm! If you're indoors, stay inside. If you're outside, stay outside. If you're indoors, stand against a wall near the center of the building, stand in a doorway, or crawl under heavy furniture (a desk or table). Stay away from windows and outside doors. If you're outdoors, stay in the open away from power lines or anything that might fall. Stay away from buildings (stuff might fall off the building or the building could fall on you). Don't use matches, candles, or any flame. Broken gas lines and fire don't mix. If you're in a car, stop the car and stay inside the car until the earthquake stops. Don't use elevators (they'll probably get stuck anyway).

What to Do After an Earthquake Check yourself and others for injuries. Provide first aid for anyone who needs it. Check water, gas, and electric lines for damage. If any are damaged, shut off the valves. Check for the smell of gas. If you smell it, open all the windows and doors, leave immediately, and report it to the authorities (use someone else's phone). Turn on the radio. Don't use the phone unless it's an emergency. Stay out of damaged buildings. Be careful around broken glass and debris. Wear boots or sturdy shoes to keep from cutting your feet. Be careful of chimneys (they may fall on you). Stay away from beaches. Tsunamis and seiches sometimes hit after the ground has stopped shaking. Stay away from damaged areas. If you're at school or work, follow the emergency plan or the instructions of the person in charge. Expect aftershocks.

most of it is good advice, but "don't use the phone unless it's an emergency" is kind of funny... doesn't everyone think that being in an earthquake is an "emergency"? i guess they wanna keep the emergency phone lines and the mobile frequencies available for those who really need help.

earthquake in peru; team safe

Deadly earthquake strikes Peru

(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru on Wednesday evening, prompting a tsunami warning for that country, as well as Chile, Ecuador and Colombia.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also issued a tsunami watch for Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Honduras, and a tsunami advisory for Hawaii.

An advisory means there is no current threat to the area, but the threat status is being monitored.

The quake was felt for two minutes, according to Peruvian media. Broken windows were reported in Lima, and mobile phone service was interrupted.

"This has been the most terrifying experience we've had," Gladys Tarnawiecki told CNN from her home in Lima, the capital.

Residents of inland towns felt strong shaking. The quake also shook cities near the coast and the mountains.

There were power outages in Lima, Reuters reported, and people ran into the streets in panic as the tremor shook office buildings. Many stayed outside after radio reports warned them to prepare for possible aftershocks.

The quake struck at 6:41 p.m. (7:41 p.m. ET) and was centered 25 miles (61 kilometers) west-northwest of Chincha Alta, Peru, and 90 miles (161 kilometers) south-southeast of Lima, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was 25 miles (47 kilometers) below the Earth's surface.

More tremors followed. A magnitude 5.8 quake occurred at 7:02 p.m. (8:02 p.m. ET). It was further inland, centered 70 miles (113 kilometers) northeast of Chincha Alta and 111 miles (179 kilometers) east-southeast of Lima.

And at 7:19 p.m., another smaller quake of 5.9 magnitude occurred, centered 30 miles (48 kilometers) south-southwest of Ica, Peru, and 180 miles (290 kilometers) south-southeast of Lima.

Peru, and most of the South American Pacific Coast, are on border of two tectonic plates: The South American plate, which includes most of the continent, and the Nazca plate, which extends across the Pacific along most of the coast.

In October 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake centered in Pakistan killed nearly 75,000 people in Pakistan and India. That quake's epicenter was only 6 miles (10 kilometers) below the Earth's surface.

Earthquakes centered closer to the Earth's surface produce stronger shaking and generally can cause more damage than those farther underground.

source: CNN

thankfully there was not much damage to lives and property in lima as the quake occurred 25 miles underground. i called terry to ask him if he knew how the team was doing and he said they were very ok. :)