无独有偶，今天查资料的时候，又再次看到这篇文章。
又想到我来爱丁堡时看的第一部电影 The Linguists。
2011年4月28日星期四
My alternative literature review before 6th May 2011
My uni lecturer孔庆东 taught me to be fair in assessing issues and to read out of mainstream news so that i can assess the truth for myself. So I listen to speeches from the alternative voices. My lecturers in UoE stresses the importance of a comprehensive literature review before deciding on my research topic and eventual essay, so I am spending some time to watch the rally clips of the incumbent too.
Just realised something from a 12min speech from the incumbent. Heartland Singaporeans are worried about basic bread and butter issues and complaining about the software and heartbeat of the island but the candidate i just heard spent 9 min on the history and development of Singapore and the last 3 min telling her rally supporters "we will have a big shopping complex in Punggol!" and "18 km of jogging track , 4.2km long punggol water way right at our residents doorstep, leisurely places for residents to go to, to enjoy the cohesion we will like to build for singapore". I guess we will really like to hear more about how the money can be used to help people who are still trying to cope with basic living issues, besides the term "workfare supplement scheme"? I mean, that's what the incumbent told us too right? to scrutinise what everyone has to say before making our decision right?
I will be fair. Will be listening to speeches from both the incumbent mainstream voices as well as the opposition everyday. I will apply what I learnt from my education, as well as follow the heeds of the wise leaders.
btw, these are some of the videos i watched tonight. You may assess for yourself too :)
the video i just mentioned
and some others...
2011年4月26日星期二
Scottish Parliament Hustings at University of Edinburgh
我们家大选，人家也大选。
The Scottish Parliament is holding their elections on 5th May, two days ahead of us.
EUSA (the students' association) sent out an email inviting students to attend the Parliament Hustings at the university. A representative from each party was present at the husting. According to the email, these five people will be the candidates for Edinburgh Central.
The crowd wasn't big, probably about 200-300 of us in the Teviot Dining Hall. It's Easter holidays before the exams and the campus has been pretty quiet. I must have looked out of place in the room, which must have consisted mainly Scottish students and students from the Scottish-UK borders. Nonetheless, the students present were all very concerned about national budget issues, especially higher education funding issues as it affects tuition fees and potential graduate tax. A lot of questions were asked and the five party representatives took their turns to explain their party's manifesto and their stand on the funding issue. The representative from the Green Party gave specific ways and figures on how they intend to manage the funding issue to ensure further free higher education for Scottish students. I am not sure if his cuts on other spendings will work, since there has been different forecasts about their potential funding gap and all figures are arbitrary. However, his assertion that his party will seek to increase tax on the higher income group, people with more assets etc, naturally earned him a rousing applause from the audience. That started the ball rolling as the other few speakers also elaborated on their parties' specific priorities with regard to national budget and how they intend to fill the gap.
Well, it's a husting, so some will think "you can say whatever you want". I was simply enjoying the friendly air of debate and the occasional sarcasm at each other among the five people on stage. They sneered at previous bad policies, and the person who had been in that previous parliament simply had a twitch on the face or gave a humorous remark to the past and moved on. This husting, was after all, a platform to win the hearts of the student voters, not to put the others down.
So here comes the interesting part. One chap asked a question, which he claimed as not related to the education funding issue but had arise from it. And it was probably the best question fielded this evening.
In light of Nick Clegg's broken election promise on the higher education funding issue, where a coalition government was cited as the reason for the broken promise and compromise, the student asked all the five candidates to state three things that they will never give up their principles on should a coalition government happens and their party has to seek compromises on certain issues. The question itself won the applause of the emcee and the floor. The student explained that he has understood the parties varying stands on the tuition fees issue and now he want to know more about the potential MSP themselves and what they hold dearest to their hearts. Now, this is the fun part. One of the ex- MSP moved on from the higher education debate and cited three other reasons. He said he joined the party because of nuclear power issues, so should they compromise on their stand, he will quit the party. Then the second thing will be continued free National Health Services (NHS) for all. He cited how he benefited from it when his wife had complications during delivery and how the NHS service saved his family, as well as a whooping 20000 GBP bill. So that's a personal anecdote to let the students remember about him as an individual as well. I can't remember his third point but it wasn't education. Nonetheless, I am sure he would be remembered by these young voters even if they do not intend to vote for him.
I guess, the point about writing this down is not so much on what I thought of the content of the husting. It is the event itself which was an eye-opener for me. It was serious, consider the marches against the funding cuts, and yet it was peppered with humour and there were quite some light-hearted jest. Yet, there was also some sincere and honest inputs from an ex MSP and an ex-Minister who tried to explain that supporting continued free higher education by cutting other budgets is not as easy as proposed. She said it plainly with no airs, and I am sure by putting things in this way, there will be a few students out there who will understand that.
The Scottish Parliament is holding their elections on 5th May, two days ahead of us.
EUSA (the students' association) sent out an email inviting students to attend the Parliament Hustings at the university. A representative from each party was present at the husting. According to the email, these five people will be the candidates for Edinburgh Central.
The crowd wasn't big, probably about 200-300 of us in the Teviot Dining Hall. It's Easter holidays before the exams and the campus has been pretty quiet. I must have looked out of place in the room, which must have consisted mainly Scottish students and students from the Scottish-UK borders. Nonetheless, the students present were all very concerned about national budget issues, especially higher education funding issues as it affects tuition fees and potential graduate tax. A lot of questions were asked and the five party representatives took their turns to explain their party's manifesto and their stand on the funding issue. The representative from the Green Party gave specific ways and figures on how they intend to manage the funding issue to ensure further free higher education for Scottish students. I am not sure if his cuts on other spendings will work, since there has been different forecasts about their potential funding gap and all figures are arbitrary. However, his assertion that his party will seek to increase tax on the higher income group, people with more assets etc, naturally earned him a rousing applause from the audience. That started the ball rolling as the other few speakers also elaborated on their parties' specific priorities with regard to national budget and how they intend to fill the gap.
Well, it's a husting, so some will think "you can say whatever you want". I was simply enjoying the friendly air of debate and the occasional sarcasm at each other among the five people on stage. They sneered at previous bad policies, and the person who had been in that previous parliament simply had a twitch on the face or gave a humorous remark to the past and moved on. This husting, was after all, a platform to win the hearts of the student voters, not to put the others down.
So here comes the interesting part. One chap asked a question, which he claimed as not related to the education funding issue but had arise from it. And it was probably the best question fielded this evening.
In light of Nick Clegg's broken election promise on the higher education funding issue, where a coalition government was cited as the reason for the broken promise and compromise, the student asked all the five candidates to state three things that they will never give up their principles on should a coalition government happens and their party has to seek compromises on certain issues. The question itself won the applause of the emcee and the floor. The student explained that he has understood the parties varying stands on the tuition fees issue and now he want to know more about the potential MSP themselves and what they hold dearest to their hearts. Now, this is the fun part. One of the ex- MSP moved on from the higher education debate and cited three other reasons. He said he joined the party because of nuclear power issues, so should they compromise on their stand, he will quit the party. Then the second thing will be continued free National Health Services (NHS) for all. He cited how he benefited from it when his wife had complications during delivery and how the NHS service saved his family, as well as a whooping 20000 GBP bill. So that's a personal anecdote to let the students remember about him as an individual as well. I can't remember his third point but it wasn't education. Nonetheless, I am sure he would be remembered by these young voters even if they do not intend to vote for him.
I guess, the point about writing this down is not so much on what I thought of the content of the husting. It is the event itself which was an eye-opener for me. It was serious, consider the marches against the funding cuts, and yet it was peppered with humour and there were quite some light-hearted jest. Yet, there was also some sincere and honest inputs from an ex MSP and an ex-Minister who tried to explain that supporting continued free higher education by cutting other budgets is not as easy as proposed. She said it plainly with no airs, and I am sure by putting things in this way, there will be a few students out there who will understand that.
2011年4月20日星期三
选前的兴奋
5年一次的兴奋。
我不知道会不会有人像我一样，一边独自看网上新闻，一边自个儿兴奋起来。
每一次都会想起1996年，和一群不认识的邻居一路走到体育场看竞选群众大会的那一夜。
我记得那一夜，一路上我吃着我们家楼下咖啡店的鱼肉汉堡，一路听前边的大叔们有的没的聊天。一拨人就这样一起走到了体育场。
小时候没有机会住在甘榜里，但是我知道那种一路上和不认识的同胞开始聊起天的情谊，是传说中的甘榜精神的构成部分之一。因为我们之前两年追看大马金杯的时候，这种情况也会出现。那是一种人与人之间，很自然地乡村情谊。今天回想起来，那也是一种很奇妙的感觉，像是感觉自己真的是一名新加坡人的兴奋与自豪。（我自认很爱国。以前人在国外，单是看份东运会上年轻的狮城健儿夺下奖牌的网上新闻，也会按捺不住兴奋的。）
1996年，那时我们已不再每周到国家体育场报到了，但是大家都很期待几万人共聚一堂的盛事。记得当时有些人说，这5年一次的盛事，是一种解渴。不管票最后投给了谁，很多到场的群众实际上也是期待解渴的观众。解什么渴呢？可能性还挺多的。也许是政治辩论的饥渴、也许是听不同声音的饥渴、也许是听方言演讲的饥渴、也许是参与非演练过的大型活动的饥渴、也许仅仅是为了感受到自己和平时不常互动的岛国同胞们同在的饥渴？
这次人在国外，也只能靠日益发达的网络科技来解渴了。没了国家足球队，也许这是少数能让几万人一起走到街上的国家级活动吧？
5年一次的兴奋。只因爱国，所以我注册成为海外选民，虽然其实我们那一两千个人外海选民的票实在不算什么。好不容易有了（部分）海外投票这个机制，绝对要善加使用；否则无法传达海外公民也特别关心国家大事的信息。只因我认同国家说的“放眼世界，心系祖国”的教育方针，所以选前肯定会好好做功课，多看主流和网上媒体的新闻的：）
picture from :http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=129468633792685
我不知道会不会有人像我一样，一边独自看网上新闻，一边自个儿兴奋起来。
每一次都会想起1996年，和一群不认识的邻居一路走到体育场看竞选群众大会的那一夜。
我记得那一夜，一路上我吃着我们家楼下咖啡店的鱼肉汉堡，一路听前边的大叔们有的没的聊天。一拨人就这样一起走到了体育场。
小时候没有机会住在甘榜里，但是我知道那种一路上和不认识的同胞开始聊起天的情谊，是传说中的甘榜精神的构成部分之一。因为我们之前两年追看大马金杯的时候，这种情况也会出现。那是一种人与人之间，很自然地乡村情谊。今天回想起来，那也是一种很奇妙的感觉，像是感觉自己真的是一名新加坡人的兴奋与自豪。（我自认很爱国。以前人在国外，单是看份东运会上年轻的狮城健儿夺下奖牌的网上新闻，也会按捺不住兴奋的。）
1996年，那时我们已不再每周到国家体育场报到了，但是大家都很期待几万人共聚一堂的盛事。记得当时有些人说，这5年一次的盛事，是一种解渴。不管票最后投给了谁，很多到场的群众实际上也是期待解渴的观众。解什么渴呢？可能性还挺多的。也许是政治辩论的饥渴、也许是听不同声音的饥渴、也许是听方言演讲的饥渴、也许是参与非演练过的大型活动的饥渴、也许仅仅是为了感受到自己和平时不常互动的岛国同胞们同在的饥渴？
这次人在国外，也只能靠日益发达的网络科技来解渴了。没了国家足球队，也许这是少数能让几万人一起走到街上的国家级活动吧？
5年一次的兴奋。只因爱国，所以我注册成为海外选民，虽然其实我们那一两千个人外海选民的票实在不算什么。好不容易有了（部分）海外投票这个机制，绝对要善加使用；否则无法传达海外公民也特别关心国家大事的信息。只因我认同国家说的“放眼世界，心系祖国”的教育方针，所以选前肯定会好好做功课，多看主流和网上媒体的新闻的：）
2011年4月19日星期二
勤能补拙
和政见无关，只是刚来苏格兰的时候，碰上了大英帝国要大幅度削减各种福利，整个英国闹得热烘烘的，所以每天一边追看新闻，一边庆幸自己来的是时候。要不可能就要缴更高的学费了。那段期间，看到BBC有个频道现场全程直播国会辩论，议员们的各种姿态尽显无遗，觉得非常新鲜，后来就开始上CNA看看自家的国会辩论。说实在的，如果真要和别人家那种各个义愤填膺地辩论议题的情况相比，我们家的讲话都是挺闷的。开始比较闲的时候，我除了按课题，还尽量选我不认识的人来看。后来，我就只挑演讲能力比较好的议员的演讲片段来看了。
这一年来这里，学的是应用语言学。虽然不是专学二语习得的，但是因为工作关系，还是有很多研究都会涉及到这方面的理论，所以脑子里常常想到专业知识这一块。
开始先是发现刘老大国会上的英语演讲，除了发音咬字出卖了他，其用词精准，发言时用的英语句子结构甚为复杂，加上他惯有的说话语气，活脱就是一篇辩论稿。感觉是，其英语能力进步了。原来我想的是，如今有林姐助阵，国会演讲稿肯定彼此相互修订过。今天下午看了Razor TV一段录像，才发现刘老临场回答记者的问题时，其英语能力也真的令人刮目相看！我最后一次听刘老现场演讲当然是06年的事。这样的印象可能不是特别准。但是个人觉得刘老的英语水平真的提高很多，主要体现在句法句型的运用，实在是佩服。
上回听David Harrison和学生现场对话的时候，他说有些研究说30岁以后学习新的语言困难更大，而二语习得中很关注的一个问题就是语法错误的化石化。可见不管你几岁，语言习得方面，勤能补拙的道理还是通的！刚又看到一则有意思的报道，不知道何时可以听到林姐的中文演讲？http://www.zaobao.com/ge/pages/ge110409i.shtml
这一年来这里，学的是应用语言学。虽然不是专学二语习得的，但是因为工作关系，还是有很多研究都会涉及到这方面的理论，所以脑子里常常想到专业知识这一块。
开始先是发现刘老大国会上的英语演讲，除了发音咬字出卖了他，其用词精准，发言时用的英语句子结构甚为复杂，加上他惯有的说话语气，活脱就是一篇辩论稿。感觉是，其英语能力进步了。原来我想的是，如今有林姐助阵，国会演讲稿肯定彼此相互修订过。今天下午看了Razor TV一段录像，才发现刘老临场回答记者的问题时，其英语能力也真的令人刮目相看！我最后一次听刘老现场演讲当然是06年的事。这样的印象可能不是特别准。但是个人觉得刘老的英语水平真的提高很多，主要体现在句法句型的运用，实在是佩服。
上回听David Harrison和学生现场对话的时候，他说有些研究说30岁以后学习新的语言困难更大，而二语习得中很关注的一个问题就是语法错误的化石化。可见不管你几岁，语言习得方面，勤能补拙的道理还是通的！刚又看到一则有意思的报道，不知道何时可以听到林姐的中文演讲？http://www.zaobao.com/ge/pages/ge110409i.shtml
2011年4月12日星期二
时间滴滴答答地流逝了
春分后，爱丁堡又重新展现其魅力四射的活力。春分前下了一场三月雪，告示着冬天即将过去。雪花像是依依不舍地与众人告别，嘴里呢喃着“9个月后再见哦！”。只是我不会与你们再见了。
花开的日子是多么让人兴奋的。看着色彩斑斓的小花开满遍地，我不禁被记忆奶奶给拉回某一年的课堂里。不知道为什么那堂课让我印象深刻。我在教一篇关于春天的文章。那篇简写过的文章修辞手法还是可以的，原来自己读的时候没什么感觉，但是在给语文程度一般的中二生讲那一段春暖花开的文字时，我突然像是被某个灵魂上了身。我记得那一次，我说了好多课前没有准备的讲话，突然想到了好多春天与生命的联系，突然被嫩芽冒起的画面给感动。后来我意识到尽管我们也过年，但是春天的概念对很多学生来说是陌生的。就算是看过画面，但是亲身经历过春天的奇迹是不一样的。我依稀记得，我临场编织了一个强烈对比的画面。他们都经历过SARS。非典的日子是我们共同的回忆，只不过那时候我人在北国。我把那时人皆有之的非典恐慌和我在非典时期校园近乎人去楼空之时坐在五院墙上赏花的经历稍微夸张化地告诉了学生。课堂里给小朋友说故事，我总会带点夸张效果。其实我不知道学生会不会因为教师的兴奋而更加懂得欣赏那些文字。但是，我顿时明白了春天。这是我人在北京时也不曾有过的强烈感觉。想来，文字的魅力就在此。当然还需要加上个人的经历以及日后的细细咀嚼。
爱丁堡的春很美（不过也很冷）。这段日子，大家都被论文给压坏了精神，在春季感觉闷闷的。春天提醒着生命的强盛，再难熬的日子也会过去的！
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