A Touching Moment

I just sent my wife off at the airport, together with our little one (we don't know if Em Be is a boy or girl yet). I decided to take a look at the arrival for any pictures of "Happy" moments for our weekly photography column, a new feature in the paper that I work for. Spotted a Caucasian family of 3, made up of the mother and 2 cute girls of about 2-4 years old. From the looks of it, I expected them to be waiting for the father, and had my attention fixed on them as they peered through the glass excitedly and hope to catch a glimpse of daddy as he collect his luggage.

Fortunately, my prediction was right, but not exact. The grandparents arrived, and the girls shouted in unison "Poppy, Poppy". THey were dancing round each other, and I can see that there is going to be hugs and kisses flying around. Poppy, held each girl up and turned 360, kissing and hugging them, and the grown-up daughter has her share of it. It was a touching moment, and I can feel their love and longing for each other's company. I stopped after I got my pics and Poppy brought out a toy horse so that the younger girl can sit on it as Poppy pull it along. Its a heart-warming moment, and I can truly feel it just by putting my camera down. Having a job that allows me to see what others could not, its worthwhile to put camera down sometimes and feel it besides recording it. I have learned that only by doing that can one allow the emotions to reveal itself in pictures.

Our Growing Baby

We were really excited on the 3rd appointment with our gynae, such that I forgot to lock my car and left the alarm screaming in the car park for 2 hours...

Its the ultrasound scan that we were excited about. This time round, the technician does the job and she does not have to probe too hard before we can see the little one. The feeling is magical, to see our baby sleeping comfortably in mommy's belly. They managed to zoom in closer and take pictures from different angles. We could see the nose, eyes, and head, which is still too big for the little body. The little one appears to be sucking his/her thumb. The view from another angle show his/her legs raised high up as he/she lay facing up.

I recopied the images and was shocked to make out an eye, which seems huge as well as the nose. I am not surprised as both of us have big noses.




Those are the little pair of legs pointing upwards.

You don't look very pretty or handsome now Em Be, but I am sure you will be. Just grow quickly so mommy and daddy can hold you in our arms.

NTU

I graduated from there in 2003. There were wonderful experiences and memories from my 4 years there, mostly from the freshman year when I stayed in campus. Then I met my wife Thao during my 2nd year, and its courtship and relationship throughout. I was on scholarship during my undergraduate studies, hence I worked hard to maintain reasonably good grades. The workload was heavy, and mugging through exams was torturing. I could not agree with some of the methods of teaching now that I look back. Its been years since I graduated, and I have forgotten most of the technical knowledge from my Engineering course. The one thing which a University education has given me, and something which I still value greatly is to have an open mind and to believe that there is a solution to anything, if you try hard enough.

NTU has a place in our hearts as it was where we spent a great part of our youth. Thao is still doing her post-grad studies there and I still love going back and use the library as I waited for her to finish her classes, like what I am doing right now.

Recent experience with the school has put me off just when I am considering doing my master's study. My request in having a cross-faculty arrangement in my Sociology thesis was rejected, and my engineering degree proved to be an obstacle, rather than an asset in further studies, albeit in a unrestrictive field like Sociology. The teaching staff which I met from School of Art, Design and Media was willing to work with me on my thesis which includes social documentary in my sociology thesis, but the Sociology department thinks otherwise. I had such previous experiences when as an undergraduate engineering student, I had great difficulties in attending a photojournalism module in another school. It was with the help of a staff in the School of Communication Studies that I managed to "break the convention" and take the photojournalism module. Its seems like the same is happening now and the university is still not receptive of students who wishes to have multi-discipline modules and "custom-make" their university education to suit individual needs and interest.

I am trying for anther University now, which has told me that my work experience as a photojournalist is considered relevant in my application for Social Science studies.