Greenhouse Effect #1

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 was the day I planted my first few potted plants. As an undergraduate majoring in Agricultural Sciences, it could be really weird to many out there that I have not done all these before. Now that I have chosen to minor in Horticulture, I have to take classes that require me to go to the greenhouses here at Virginia Tech for lab sessions. I was so excited that I could not sleep well the day before. To be honest, I was more to being scared than anything else - I haven't planted any plants before in my life!

The hallway going to the greenhouses located outside.

My class is using this greenhouse; there are many more to the right - not in this picture.

From the door, entering the greenhouse.

The greenhouses felt really comfortable because it's really cold outside, usually below 0 Celcius now that it's winter time. It's humid in there and it felt a bit like the highlands in Malaysia =) I planted a tomato plant (using 2 really tiny seeds) and 2 ornamental plants to which I have forgotten the names. Sorry! But I think most of you have seen them before.

I was kind of sad that I forgot to bring along my camera that day but due to my enthusiasm, I went to the greenhouse today just to get a few pictures. Here they are:

Tools and utensils

My tomato "plant"

Spider plant if I'm not wrong

I guess you know what plant this is :)

My name tag on my 3rd plant

Time to put to put it back into its "personal greenhouse"

And let it spend some time with its friends =)

Rice plants in another greenhouse

The pipes hanging above along the walkway make really weird noises..haha

Now I can't wait for other lab sessions! It was so much fun to plant all these. I don't know if the fun is going to last but I hope that it will. I have so much more to write so I thought I might add more later tonight. Shower time!

Call me a "Lazy Snake"

I realized that I have not updated my blog since last year and I feel so bad about it. I have all the pictures though and I will post everything up as soon as I am free. There is a Chinese term for lazy people which I have incorporated into the title of this very blog: "lazy snake". My mum always calls me that whenever I'm at home, doing what I do best - laying on the couch, watching tv or looking for food. Maybe it's in my genes since both my sisters do the same thing as well. Perhaps my mum spoils us too much that we have all turned into lazy bums. At least I do some cleaning and cooking :P

How I miss my parents and my sisters! I miss them so much!

It's so cold in Blacksburg - maybe not as cold as that in Penn State or New York or even Indiana but I'm trying my best to reduce the use of the heater at home. My eyes just rolled out of their sockets as soon as I saw the electric bill for December. That's USD130! If I ever convert it into Malaysian Ringgit, my parents can power my home in Malaysia for more than 3 months! =D Especially when it's monsoon season now, where it rains almost everyday,  they don't need to turn on the air-conditioners. I kept reminding my mum not to convert the currency but her awkward smile and laughter gave her away in an instance.

If you are not as "meaty" as I am, you might just get blown away by the strong, cold wind!

I'm glad that my parents know I'm studying hard and doing good over here. So that they know that everything is worthwhile. Chinese New Year is in a week's time! How fast time really flies! That's all from me for now since I have loads to read for my Animal and Poultry Science class tomorrow!

What Every New Student Should Know

What?

It is really hard to believe that my first semester in Virginia Tech is over! I can still vividly remember my journey here a few months ago! Thinking back, I realized that there’s so much to learn in life and so much more to experience.  Life in the States is completely different, but the National Service Program and INTEC (my 2-year preparatory college) definitely trained me well.  Workload and pressure in INTEC is much heavier compared to that in VT. Even though there is no Malaysian food, huge shopping malls and my beloved family here in Blacksburg, I know that I have so many other friends who are experiencing the same thing – I am not alone. The best part of the whole semester is I get to experience my first Fall season, where the leaves transformed into beautiful colors and my first Winter! I saw my first snowflakes on December 1, 2010. Their beauty made every effort and hard work worthwhile.

National Service 3 years ago

American Indulgence Week in INTEC

View of the tree outside my apartment in Fall

View of the same tree when it snows!

So What?

I have listed a few things that a first year student should know before becoming a student in Virginia Tech (especially in Agricultural Sciences program).

Top 10 Things every College Student Should Know:

1. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in VT offers more than 41 majors in its 12 departments. Click here for more information.
2. Students majoring in Agricultural Sciences at VT are required to choose at least 2 minors/concentrations from a few of the departments in this college, which is really cool. Click here for more information.
3. This major allows first year students to venture and look for their areas of interest before finalizing/choosing their majors/minors/ concentrations.
4. Always keep in touch with your advisor as they are assigned to you according to your chosen majors. They can answer all your questions regarding your course, schedules – almost everything until you graduate.
5. Getting involved in Agriculture-related as well as other clubs, organizations, activities and sports will help make new friends, build connections, improve communication and increase experiences in that sector.
6. It is very important to balance work and play. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
7. If you have any problem in class, don’t hesitate to ask/inform the professors as they can help because they can see if you are putting in effort.
8. When you could not understand what some professors are saying, ask them because they may have the Southern slang when they speak.
9. Be very wise when it comes to spending money because there is no mum and dad to manage your finances. Click here for advice.
10. It is best to prepare before classes and manage time efficiently – all you need is practice and success is on your way!

Now What?

I think I’m quite good in doing all of the above now but they will be easier with each semester as I become more mature and experienced. Even though it’s not possible to know what will happen each coming semester, it is always good to know that I am prepared for the fun and adventures waiting for me. Of course, with a goal in mind and determination to improve, things will usually go well with a little bit of hard work and realization of my personal strengths. Goodbye Fall 2010! Hello Spring 2011!

Let's go, Hokies!

Thanksgiving Break

What?

I mentioned something about a trip to Washington D.C. in my one of my blogs. So I did go there even though I was having one of the busiest weeks. Despite that, I had an exciting weekend in D.C.  Accommodation, food, transport and almost everything was provided by the Malaysian government and they were wonderful! All of us stayed at Tyson’s Corner Marriot, Virginia and were provided with Malay food! As for my Thanksgiving break this week, I didn’t go to my roommate’s place for the week. Reason: I know I would not be able to do my work (there’s so much to do!) if I enjoy myself too much – need to be in control.

Met my INTEC friends at the Malaysian Embassy

Didn't manage to visit the Washington Monument

So What?

The entrepreneurship seminar was held at the Malaysian Embassy in Washington D.C. and it went quite well. I was quite distracted though as my thoughts were on shopping and sightseeing most of the time. However, that did not happen as I wished because the seminar started on Friday evening (ice-breaking session), the whole Saturday and ends only on Sunday afternoon. But I still managed to get myself new winter boots, sneakers and a handbag, so it wasn’t so bad after all. As for this week, I stayed in my apartment, watching series after series of dramas online, which means I didn’t really do much work. There were two interesting events, the first is a lunch gathering for the Eid al-Adha celebration and a Thanksgiving “dinner” at Dr. Francis Quek’s place. I’m totally addicted to roast turkey now. It’s so good! And all the food’s good too!

Carving the turkey

Dr. Quek giving his speech

Food glorious food!

With  my new found Peruvian friend, Alexandra

View of Blacksburg from Brush Mountain

Now What?

Thanksgiving is fun! Next time around, I won’t miss the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving with Katherine’s family in Arlington. As for the Black Friday sale, I didn’t get anything - maybe next time when I have something to buy. I think I might be in Winter break mode now. I really look forward to another trip somewhere out of town and I don’t feel like doing any work. Again, the coming three weeks are going to pass really fast because they are all assignment and presentation deadlines, and final exam! Good luck to me!

Leadership: Women and Culture

What?

The issue that revolves around women and leadership is not new. Even though large parts of the world have begun to accept women leaders in a company or a country, there are still many boundaries (one of them is the glass ceiling - Draft, 2005; Yukl, 2006) to which a woman has to face to climb the organization ladder. I absolutely agree that women still have to face biasness and prejudice because of their gender, and worse – difference in culture. I have personally encountered these situations and I don’t like that feeling at all. The whole conventional thinking that men should be the breadwinner and women the homemaker is still rampant in many cultures, especially Asia where most of the world’s population comes from. In a team of people, it is sometimes inevitable that there would be potential conflict when it comes to gender and culture.

Future leaders of Malaysia from different cultural backgounds

So What?

In Malaysia, more and more women are earning higher positions in governmental and non-governmental sectors. In addition, more women are educated and they have higher and bigger goals in life – similar to many countries, Malaysia’s public universities have more female than male students. In a country with so many cultural differences, there are of course different thoughts and opinions to women becoming leaders. Thus, majority of higher leadership positions are still dominated by men. What surprises me most is the fact that women in the United States have considerably lower wages in the same position as men (Bureau of Labor Statistics). That is not fair at all! I believe that women will change and speak up for themselves in time to come. Similar for culture and leadership, international trade will improve and increase the need for cultural exchange and understanding, increasing the acceptance in cultural differences all over the world.

sodahead.com

Now What?

In a world with so many cultures and traditions, it is not easy to alter people’s perception towards women. After all these years, I think that women has made a significant change to the world – more and more women, including me, are getting proper and higher education. The good news is, women are also known to be better leaders, using more of transformational leadership. For both women and culture in leadership, acceptance and change towards the better is not impossible as long as there is tolerance and understanding.

Strengths-Based Career

What?

As a government-sponsored student, I have a few curfews after I graduate. I will be required to return and serve my country, Malaysia (an FAO country). The government will then assign me a job according to the major/field that I graduated in where I will serve for 6 years. I, of course, would not know what job will be assigned to me but I definitely wish to work in the Agricultural sector. After that, I will continue with my graduate studies. My strengths: Restorative, Adaptability, Analytical, Relator, Consistency – they affect my decisions-making process and for now, I have settled my thoughts to working as an Associate Professional Officer (APO) for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

ciesin.org

So What?

According to fao.org, candidates for the program include any young professional under the age of 32 with a strong commitment to food and agricultural development development issues, a university degree and practical experience with developing countries as well as a genuine interest in working with people from across the world.

Requirements for candidates include:

1. A university degree at M.Sc. or MA level or B.Sc. or BA level with at least three years of relevant working experience.
2. Working knowledge of two of FAO's official languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian and Chinese
3. Excellent information technology skills, including word processing, database applications, presentation software, and the Internet
4. Minimum of one to two years of working experience in a developing country (optional)
5. Ability to think strategically; to express ideas clearly; to work independently and in teams combines with cultural and gender sensitivity.
6. Strong commitment to development; an interest in adapting to varied physical and professional environments; and a desire to work with people of different language, national and cultural backgrounds.
7. Respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and FAO's Mission Statement.

fao.org

Now What?

Most of the requirements should fit my strengths well; requirements 5 and 7 with Restorative, Analytical, Relator and Consistency, and requirement 6 with Adaptibility. All the other requirements can definitely be fulfilled with my years in the university and my plans for graduate studies. However, it is easier said than done. There might not be a vacancy when I apply and I would be far away from home most of the time. Other than that, there are also many other challenges when in different countries - culture, language, diseases, environmental factors and many others. For me, no job is easy but it doesn't get more difficult if one enjoys doing it.

Unfortunate Doggie Event

What?

I feel as if I’m residing in a gigantic refrigerator. When the wind blows, I’m upgraded to the freezer, and when the temperature drops below 0, I’m officially the resident of the freezer. Let’s not make things colder around here. My busy week wasn’t too bad but I had a day of unfortunate events – on Wednesday. Early in the morning, when I was on my way to the bus stand, I crossed the wrong place at the wrong time. It was the shortcut that I take every day and this time, a big collie (I think) was doing its toilet business. It was too late to turn back; the dog saw me, looked me in the eye, started barking and refused to let me go. Unfortunately, I am not really an animal person and I tried to stay as calm as possible. Thank goodness the owner was there and he managed to get his dog under control. I’m glad I didn’t run but when I reached the bus stand, I saw the bus leaving. Fantastic! For me, it’s not a good omen especially when I have a test that day. Thankfully, I was not late for class.

 blogs.seattleweekly.com

Puppies are ok, but big ones scare me

So What?

My excitement for the football game in my previous blog stops was wasted when I got myself a severe headache on the day of the game. But I definitely made a good choice by not undergoing the wrath of a more-than-3-hours “refrigeration”. It was a very good game, with VT emerging as the winner (28-21) after a few close encounters – I watched ESPN live in the warmth of my apartment. Let’s go, Hokies! Thinking about the beginning of the weekend, I realized how crazy I was. On Sunday evening (October 31, 2010), I went to the Math Emporium to take my Math test (the score was not too bad, but not too good either) and grabbed 10 cans of Campbell’s mushroom and chicken soup from Kroger after that. They were really cheap! – 10 for USD 5! I know they can get much cheaper after Thanksgiving but since they can be stored for a long time, why not? I thought I might want to just in case I decided to hibernate during winter. Weekend is not too fun though because I don’t feel like doing anything in the cold weather.

Now What?

I’m going to Washington D.C. this weekend! How fun! I’m attending an entrepreneur seminar organized by the Malaysian Embassy and almost everything is taken care of (accommodation, food etc.). I can go sightseeing, meeting with other people, and most importantly, SHOPPING! I was told that there is a huge mall right beside the hotel I’m staying in! That is why I'm writing this blog ahead of time. I might need to rush things through this week but no worries; everything usually turns out well for me. Even though all the assignment and paper deadlines are near, I will try my best to finish everything before enjoying my trip. I hope the dog doesn't hold a grudge on me, and may all be well this week!

grosvenorfund.com

D.C., here I come!