Post #6 : Bio Data

I am currently studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS), in my 3rd final year, and I will be graduating this July with a Bachelor of Science. My strong interest in chemistry was nurtured during my secondary and junior college education and has led me to pursue it at university level. Although it is at a much difficult level, the curriculum fosters my critical thinking and the laboratory sessions in chemistry have allowed me to acquire analytical skills which can be applied in everyday life.

However, I also believe that learning is a never ending experience and one should never limit oneself to one discipline. Thus I have taken arts modules such as history and social work to business modules such as marketing and human resource management to gain some knowledge in other disciplines. I had also volunteered to go on a Work and Travel USA program in 2008 and I had a chance to immerse myself in an entirely different cultural setting and to broaden my perspective and even picked up new skills. This has convinced me that I should embark on a career that will allow me to work in Singapore and in other countries as well.

I have also been an active member of various dance clubs in NUS and have taken part in numerous numbers of concerts, performances and competitions. I had also taken up the position as a Chairperson in d’Hoppers club and had many opportunities to lead the club and to build up my abilities to work well in a team. To be able commit to dance, one has to be very disciplined, have the right attitudes and learn how to juggle between studies and dance as dance practices take up a huge portion of our time. Thus I learnt how to work under pressure and learn how to manage time well. I believe that his is a critical skill that is much needed in today’s fast-paced stressful working environment of Singapore.

I hope that my acquired knowledge and skills, as well some of the leadership skills and positive attitudes and beliefs will bring me greater heights in my future career.

Post #5 Open Topic : Other Communication issues- Dinner etiquette

So when a male and a female go out for dinner together, who pays? Should the girl be the demure lady and let the man pay? Or should the girls offer to pay for the whole meal? Or would “going dutch” be the best option? This may be a form of communication as could different options actually convey different meanings?


Probably in the past, men are obliged to pay for the meal if a man and woman went out to a meal together. But gradually, as women attain the same social status and equal rights as men; do women feel the social pressure to offer to pay for the meal too?


If a woman were to offer to pay for the whole meal, would the man feel offended? Just like the woman might seem to be asserting her “feminist values” on a man and imply that she was not earning a lesser paycheck than the man?


If a man were to pay for a meal, how long should he continue paying for all the meals? And would that suggest that a woman is weaker and dependable on the man?


So “going Dutch” does seem to be the best option out of all. However, what are the probable signals that this option might convey? That sharing the tab with a man might mean that the female is hinting that they are just friends and any opportunities for further relationship development would be lost?


But to me, my solution would be if someone pays this time, I will gratefully accept it and offer to pay for the next meal out together; or sometimes I will share the bill; or sometimes pay for the whole meal when I am feeling rich. Not only in the aspect of the dating issue, but also with friends and families or colleagues as well. Thus, maybe no more guessing game of what the conveyed message meant. What do you think? =)