Geography !!Glaciers and hydrology

We gathered at our lecture theatre today, knowing that it was going to be an interesting day all about glaciers. In the morning , Allan quickly glanced through hydrology, reinforcing various river processes and the landforms that are formed as a result. Indeed, the class marveled at the beautiful pictures of river landforms from different parts of the world. Allan would show us a landform and we would then discuss how it could have formed. The exposure we gained from these images and ideas generated have broadened our perspective on rivers. We know have better confidence in interpreting landforms that could possibly be tested in the examinations back in CJC. We learnt that, for hydrology, both theory and imagery were essential to anchor a deeper understanding of the topic and its complexities.

In the afternoon, we visited the Scott Polar institute. The institute is one of the earliest research centres in Europe. It conducts research on glacial exploration in the Arctic and Atlantic regions. It also contains a museum, in which we learnt of the history of arctic exploration and the danger our glaciers are facing, due to global warming. This activity has exposed us to an area of geography we cover in in little detail in our syllabus. Hence, it was an eye opener, as we viewed visuals we would have little excess to in Singapore.  These visuals include satellite imagery from NASA a the British Antarctic Survey.

Scott Polar Institute and museum is among the 8 University Museums in Cambridge. We were indeed delighted that we got the opportunity to visit these museums, given that these museums have significantly close excess to resources. We are mindful that our days here are coming to. a close. We are grasping every chance to enhance our knowledge of Geography. Take care!

Geography- Climate change!!!

For the morning lecture, we studied the human aspect of climate change.

A lecture style was used and many of us could follow the lecture as it has been covered in college.  We did cover and discover some new aspects to the topic – some graphs that Jon showed us were different from the ones in CJ’s lecture and gave us a different perspective of climate change. One important thing we learnt was that the response to climate change has two aspects- mitigation and adaptation. Both mitigation and adaptation are needed to manage climate change, but the big question is how to balance the two approaches. We were given a link to play a game on climate change, and realised that as a politician, it really is not easy to balance both mitigation and adaptation. We particularly felt the study of the carbon market was particularly interesting because we had not heard about it before and it is a business that can help both the economy and the environment.

Our new lecturer is Allen, he is currently studying in Cambridge University and he is an expert in glaciology. He is really passionate about glaciology and is working towards a PHD. Physical Geography covers topics like Lithospheric Processes, Hydrology, Plate tectonics etc. Allen’s style of teaching is pretty much the same as the teacher’s in CJC; using power point slides with occasional group discussions. However, in CJC, we only have to survive one hour lectures, but the lectures here are 3 hours in the morning and 2.5 hours in the afternoon. It was initially hard to adapt and we would feel very sleepy halfway through the lecture, we found ways and means to persevere.

The afternoon lecture, we started on the physical aspect of geography. After spending one whole week on intensive human geography, we were ready to move on to the physical geography. The lecture on the physical aspect of climate change tied in perfectly with the morning lecture. This was a rather confusing lecture for us as we were not familiar with the terms used in the lecture. Many complex ideas and theories were introduced  to us, but with the patience of our lecturer Allan, we finally got the gist of Earth’s climate through time. Our perception of climate change was also challenged. Though the Earth is evidently getting warmer, it may just be the warmer period of Earth’s cycle and may not necessarily  be a cause of alarm for us.This was a refreshing realisation, after all the alarmist warnings of climate change that we read of !

Overall, we learnt many new concepts today and we were given a new perspective on climate change and the pressing issue that has the world is concern about. We are enjoying the course, especially on days when we get to on excursions in the afternoon. Apart from the activities in the day, we also have to catch up with our homework in CJC at night. The teachers here help us to catch up with our work by giving us lectures, e.g. Mr Lim gives us Math lectures so that we would not lag behind in CJC. Though we are enjoying the experience here, we sure do miss the food in Singapore- cup noodles have never tasted so good before!

The Weekend

London is indeed a beautiful city. It is well known for its heritage and culture. London, a city deep in its history, has developed into a metropolis. Her famous shopping district, spanning famous locations like Oxford Street and Covent Garden, contain modern retail brands housed in the architecture of old London, showing how London has managed to conserve the old and advance the new. In Singapore, on the other hand, our old and new are kept separate as they develop separately rather than together. As such, Singapore can learn from London, by incorporating new developments into old buildings by redeveloping them to pristine conditions. Through this, tourists and even our own local people can get a glimpse of Old Singaporean architecture. It would serve as a good reminder for Singaporeans of our tumultuous past, and how we have risen from it.

With just a glance around London, we can see how proud the English are of the history. They have maintained that powerful historical feel through the old architecture that lingers even when other cities have moved forward in time. The statues of the numerous key figures in British history stand proudly, showing how England remembers those who have made her who she is today. Singapore’s array of searing skyscrapers and high-rise HDB blocks are orderly and well played, whereas the cramped London streets are dripping with reverance for the past. A departure from Singapore, where practicality is emphasized and the character of the city does not show as much. Through all of that we’ve seen in our weekend trip,  we’ve been able to see how despite London and Singapore (both cities) differ greatly not just in term of architecture but also in historical value.

Yet another differing point would be the level of freedom of speech people are given in the UK. As the bus drove past near Trafalgar square, we could see people pitching tents in the middle of a busy area in order to protest various things such as the war in afghanistan.

As we stepped into the British Museum we cannot help but feel awestruck. We were greeted by treasures from all over the world ranging from Chinese pottery, Maori relics to Eyptian Mummies.

Taking a glance through the map tells one just how vast this museum really is, artifacts from every corner of the world, pieces of stones that are millions of years old, the evolution of human technology throughout the ages. An entire room was dedicated to the history of the mechanical clock, one could literally walk around this museum for days absorbing all kinds of knowledge with no specific subject area. Everything was there from one of the earliest prints of shakespeare’s works, to the first kind of currency used and of course the famed rosetta stone that allowed academics to finally decipher the hierogylphs from ancient egyptian times.

One thing that appears saliently remarkable, is that the English are

able to keep up with the changing times (Bustling Oxford Street and beautiful Covent

Garden), yet they fall back on tradition to preserve their culture (Old Spitelfield Market,

Trafalgar Square, and countless statues of Legends like Winston Churchill and Admiral

Lord Nelson). By the mere comparative analysis between Singapore and London, it is

obvious that we Singaporeans are too pragmatic to preserve our cultures and traditions

(in fact they are on the brink of eradication). However, we’re glad to know that Singapore

is taking steps to preserve our culture (but we’re a little slow). Personally, we feel that

more funds should be channelled towards culture preservation, education, and of course,

tourism and hospitality. London is truly inspiring, and it has opened our eyes to many

historical developments that we have, till now, overlooked.

Sunday : Cruise down River Thames

Today, the group took a short cruise river cruise down river Thames. We started off first at Westminster pier, where we could see the famous battle ship Belfast, which survived both World Wars. Shortly after the departure, we passed the still constructing Shard, which will be region’s tallest building after construction is completed. Also, there were many old buildings like the parliament building could be seen on the boat.

As we continue to go down stream, we could see that the urban landscape was well planned. Many new and old buildings stood next to each other, without looking out of place. The buildings complement each other as they still reflect the busy London skyline. We also marveled at how London’s urban planners have managed to embrace both the new and old architecture. Singapore has clearly adopted this approach as seen in its plans to merry the old and new architecture of Singapore in the civic district.

 

 

Being geography students, we paid attention to the river processes while enjoying the views. While passing under the bridges, the captain commented on the rapid flow of water which was up to 6km/hr. It was later that we found out that  locks,  weirs and various other river management strategies were used to manage the flow of the river. Hence, the cruise was clearly both and educational and recreational experience we will never forget.

reply to geog questions

Answer to questions posed by CJC students

Re: Some of the topics in Reach Cambridge are also covered in the H2 Geography syllabus. How are these topics different? Are they useful and relevant for future usage in H2 Geography?

Hey guys back in Singapore!

We are really glad to have received your questions regarding the geography course

The human geography topics we have covered are population , migration and urbanization, globalization, international development and sustainable development.

• population and globalisation are part of our   A level curriculum. Urbanisation will probably be done in JC 2. Given that we have already covered these topics, the Reach Cambridge course aims to deepen and strengthen our knowledge of these issue. This is done by exposing  us to various different perspectives of famous Geographers and supporting these ideas with many case studies.
• We will, over the next few days be covering some topics, like glaciology, climate change and river processes,  which we have not covered yet back home.

Regarding the difference in content that we are covering here, we are generally dwelling more into the philosophical ideas in the various topics.

• For example, when we were discussing the idea of conservation, we had to clarify our idea of nature, which varies greatly amongst people. For example, through viewing an excerpt of  Lion King, we were made to question our perceptions of nature – is it always lush and green (as portrayed in the movie) or is more rugged, wild and even dangerous. This was very thought provoking as we realise that humans view nature through  anthropogenic lenses.
• Given these anthropogenic lenses, humans choose to conserve what can benefit them the most.  For example, if an area which has value to a particular culture (green spaces in Singapore to allow family bonding), policies will be introduced to uphold environmental values. There has been a greater emphasis on understanding the reasons for various environmental policies, thus facilitating a better evaluation of the different policies.

Also, here in Cambridge, we learn many more case studies which are very relevant to our syllabus.  For experiential learning purposes, we were given the chance to visit Wicken Fen, a nature reserve which is not virgin land , but has been managed by humans to achieve the purpose of conservation . It made conservation very real for us – we were apply to apply the concepts we had learnt earlier in the morning

We hope that this response help you to understand better the course we are doing here in Cambridge! And study hard!!!

From Geography Group

Cambridge

Questions from Singapore

Hi there,

glad to hear your activities are doing so well in Cambridge.

Below are some questions posted by your classmates to you.

How is the studying environment in cambridge different as compared to Singapore?

Some of the topics in Reach Cambridge are also covered in the H2 Geography syllabus. How are these topics different? Are they useful and relevant for future usage in H2 Geography?

What is Bayes Theorem and how to apply it to our daily life?

regards.

Singapore

An Inconvenient Truth

Day 1: A Bright and exciting first day of lessons

Day 1 : 9^th August 2010, Monday

A blessed National day CJC!!

A new class and teacher

The first day brought mixed feelings of excitement. Some could not wait to meet the students who were going to join us for geography lessons while others felt a sense of uncertainty as we did not know what to expect from a 2 week summer programme at Cambridge University. The geography class consists of about 15 students, all from Singapore. Students from Hwa Chong instituition, Anderson Junior College and Raffles Juniour college joined us in introducing ourselves. Our lecturer, Jonathan Flynn having studied Geography at university level was equally excited to embark on such an enriching experience.

Geography lessons like all other subjects begin at 9am. This is the rough schedule :

Morning session ( 9-12) – Usually a lecture on a new topic

Lunch break ( 12 – 2)

Afternoon session ( 2 – 4.30) – An excursion or hands on activity related to the issues discussed in the morning.

National day celebrations

As Singaporeans, we were proud that Singapore was celebrating its 45^th Birthday. For some, it was our first time away from the country during his joyous occasion. However, we took pride in our country and decided to gather to say the pledge during our lunch break.

The pledge reminded us that although we are far from home, a sense of belonging is still felt and many of us kept talking about the National day parade and when the fireworks display would occur.

Being a student of that country also reminded us that we have a purpose in this summer programme. Whilst it would enrich us, we also, hope to  share these experiences with  our friends back in Singapore. Some of us may decide to major in the subjects we are currently studying and such a programme would give us a better grasp of the subject.

The origins of Geography 09/08/2010

Today, content was not on  Dr John’s agenda. Instead, he we learnt about the origins of Geography and how it is perceived presently. It the past, Geographers mainly aimed to describe the world, hence the focus of discoveries and inventions making mapping an instrumental skill  for voyages and tracking natural resources. Now, the study of Geography includes the inflow of solutions and ideas, not just explaining the complex problems our world faces. We felt a sense of pride and rootedness learning that Geography has evolved from such a rich history.  We also arrived at a better understanding of Goegraphy the discipline and not just the subject (as taught for exams )It is an inter – disciplinary subject, that addresses all other aspects of the Earth and attempts to draw synoptic linkages between the human and physical environments.

A final lesson we grasped were various slants and lenses through which we might analyse issues. These were techniques we could eventually use in our essays in the evaluation process.

-       A scale perspective ( large scale vs small scale)

-       Time scale ( macro vs micro)

The first day set the tone and the macro picture of Geography before we tackle the micro issues. We felt confident and enthusiastic as we knew we were going to learn so much more!

Take care!!

Day 2 : Sustainable development

“Sustainable development is not as simple as you think”

This was the general thought that ran through everyone’s mind as we discussed the complexity of sustainable development. John invited two speakers to conduct a workshop in the afternoon. The class found this workshop very thought provoking lesson .

To demonstrate these complexities, we played a game, Road Planning. We were broken into groups of 5 and each member, given a specific role in the society. The aim of the game was to build a road from the bottom to top of the paper given, with the least cost involved. Moreover, the interests of all stakeholders, Ministers, chamber of commerce, NGOs of the environment, professors and the local community have to be safeguarded as well.

Surprising realizations and learning points.

A greater understanding of Singapore as a case study

In Singapore, we have hardly analysed Singapore as a case study, in relation to the various problems we study. During the seminar, we were brought to understand our global position in the world.

• We realized that Singapore ranks the first in exceeding our carrying capacity with our current ecological footprint. We were startled looking at the statistics and started to think about our actions and how they have impacted Singapore. We realized that whilst we pride ourselves for our economic growth, we need to be mindful of its impact on the environment.

• Hence, today taught us that knowing how an issue manifests itself in one’s own country is essential before moving on to other case studies. It helps us secure a better understanding of the issue being analysed and arms us with a stronger foundation as we move on to analyse other case studies.

Another learning point : the complexities and challenges involved in    sustainable development.

• We realised that it is easier said than done.It is difficult to come to compromises as eventually, someone will lose out. Therein lies the constant challege of governments to attain sustainable development.

Looking forward, we now recognize that, as geographers, it in not sufficient to describe and explain the complexities of sustainable development .Instead, the challenge is, using this foundation, to strive to come up with solutions to these issues

Take care!!

Day 3: International developement

Today, we  explored  international trade in a novel way, through the International trading game

Today, we played the international trading game during the lecture as part of learning about sustainable development. Basically, each of the 3 countries were given resources ( Paper, scissors, ruler), some more than others. Each group had to make shapes out of the resources and each shape had a different value to it.

The aim was to profit maximize and ensure your country developed well enough.

• We learnt to manage our resources as different countries and think of ways to work around our limited resources to achieve the fastest development. Excitement and tension was in the air as various countries looked for the most efficient way to profit maximize.

Map discussion

The discussion of the maps at the park was the most thought provoking sharing session. We came to know that maps in the past were actually  an expression of wealth and power. For example, one map depicted the Queen and the map of the world beneath her. This suggests that England was the guardian of the world. Other maps involved symbols and coats of arms. Moreover, this activity taught us that a map’s format and image is largely dependent on the individuals’ interpretation of the region around them and beyond.

Punting

Punting was a brilliant and enriching experience as we enjoyed the magnificent view of the architecture around. Cambridge- a place with such deep history and rich culture in comparison to the young, new nation of Singapore.  History engulfed us in every corner – a totally different world from the high rise buildings of Singapore.In our conversation with a REACH coordinator, we were told that none of Europe’s historic buildings are to be demolished.

• Such a fact got us thinking. The URA has come up with guidelines with relation to the conservation of historic buildings in Singapore, and this has led to the conservation of historic buidlings Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, retaining some aspects of the past. However, we hope that, in future, a greater focus is placed on preserving the historic memories and stories of the past which people will hear and remember forever.

A tiring, but fruitful day!!

Take care!!

Punting

Best Wishes from Singapore

Good luck in Cambridge, gain knowledge and experience, make new friends while strengthing old ones, and stay healthy!

- wishes from Singapore

Day 0

The fact that we were on our way to THE Cambridge University took a little while to sink in. The sudden outburst of euphoria as we were walking through the gate to board the plane screaming ” WE’RE GOING TO CAMBRIDGE! “. Randomly grabbing each other while walking to Trinity Hall, where we now reside, and going ” Omg we’re in the UK. “

Departure hall T3,  an entire division of friends and families swarmed us.  As we posed for the following shot, camera flashes went off in all directions. Felt good. So THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING US FEEL LIKE ROCK STARS!

The flight was thankfully uneventful ( Or sadly depending on how you look at it. Flying 14 hours on economy is hell after the first few hours ). At one point in time, to fight the leg cramps plaguing our entire deck, we ran to the back of the plane and started playing cards!

"No we're not queuing up for the lavatories"

Arrival saw renewed enthusiasm in everyone,  until we got on the bus and traveled for 2 hours through an undulating landscape which looked pretty much like this throughout the entire ride

And as these large expanses of flat ground provide about as much entertainment as the morning announcements, we all slept!

Until…

The Jerwood library!

We finally arrived at Cambridge! Not much else to say here we gaped in awe at the beautiful architecture and clicked the capture button on our cameras at everything we saw.

Our dormitories

Taken from the entrance of Trinity Hall

For more pictures to gape at add the reach cambridge people on facebook or flickr. I’m sure there will be hundreds more for anyone to peruse at their leisure.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the city area, dodging in and out of small alleys, inching our way through the crowd at the marketplace to get some ostrich burgers ( yes that’s right ostrich, they’re amazing ) and getting completely lost!

After that, we got a quick tour around the city and Downing college, another constituent college of Cambridge University.

And that pretty much concludes Day 0!  Departure, flight, arrival. There will be more updates, photos and backlogged homework to come as we begin our first academic day tomorrow! Signing off, from a dimly lit room, a cold breeze flowing in through the open window.