A180873 

28th July 2023

 

“Diving” into the first week of elective posting, I have submerged into the underwater world in the oceans of Sabah. I have taken up scuba diving under the teaching of Divemaster Mr. Glenn Robert of Scuba Diving International. As for the first week, I have completed the Open Water Scuba Diver course and obtained my international diving license to dive with a maximum depth of 18 metres. This course began with a classroom session which covers the theoretical aspect of scuba diving. This includes Oceanography, Basic Physics, Scuba Equipment and Dive Plans. Subsequently, I completed studying the student manual and took the Open Water course test. On the following days of the course, I learned the basic skills of scuba diving and the assembly procedure of my scuba equipment. The basic skills included hand signals, in-water skills, out-of-air emergencies and in-water emergencies. Upon grasping the skills, I had several experience dives at Pulau Sapi and Pulau Sepanggar where I was exposed to mesmerizing aquatic life and applied the skills I have learned previously. 

 

The first rule of scuba diving - do not panic! A panicked diver often puts themselves in dangerous situations, this may include removing their oxygen regulator underwater and ascending too quickly which may lead to lung overexpansion injuries. Hence, it is important to remain calm and to apply the in-water skills when necessary. The second point is to never hold my breath & to breathe continuously to ensure sufficient oxygen flow underwater. Lastly, is to equalize ear pressure constantly to avoid eardrum injuries & to ensure comfortability while diving. 

Scuba diving is fun! (Once you get the hang of it 😂) It was definitely nerve-wrecking during my first dive but my instructor guided me through & the additional experience dives definitely helped me get comfortable. On the other hand, swimming back to the boat and getting back on it with all the diving gear (20kg to be exact) sure was tiring. However, the more dives I did, the more stamina I built. So all good now 👍🏻 

 

Initially, I had problems with descending into the ocean water. I kept floating upwards. Hence, I told my instructor the problem and we adjusted my weight belt to 5kg. Additionally, I practiced more on my breathing techniques which helped me control my in-water descends and ascends better. I also had difficulties with finning (moving forward) underwater. To overcome this, (1) I made sure my weight belts were evenly distributed before each dive, this ensures I could fin with balance,  (2) I would review footage of me diving with my instructor & he would give his feedback for improvements. 

 

Thrilling, eye-opening 

 

My plan for week 2 is to complete the Advanced Adventure course, which upon completion allows me to dive to a maximum depth of 30 metres in international waters. Hence, I’ll be attending classroom sessions, in-water trainings, a couple of experiences dives and answering the course test. Fingers crossed for good weather! ☀️ 

I learned the most basic skills for swimming (Breathing, Floating, Kicking) with the right technique from my coach. I proceed to learn freestyle stroke as I mastered the basic skills easily. I am currently still stuck at freestyle stroke, however (maybe 60% 👀)

P/s: my coach said that I'm quite a fast learner considering I haven't learn any swimming skills before hehe

 

At first it was easy, so I really thought I made a right decision to take swimming classes, but when I get to freestyle stroke, I slightly regret having that thought. This wasn't easy at all! It was very technical as it involved coordination of hand movement and breathing, while kicking! My respect to professional swimmers really is at its peak. However, I am very excited for upcoming classes with my coach and also my personal learning time. 

 

Character building.

Muhamad Kamal Hazmi Bin Mohamad Khairi, A173346, 30 July 2023

 

In the first week of my boxing journey, I dedicated myself to mastering the fundamentals of the sport. My trainer patiently guided me through the crucial elements of boxing technique. We started with the basics of footwork, focusing on proper weight distribution and movement in the ring. We also focused a lot on padworks.

Learning the correct stance was vital for maintaining balance and maximizing the power behind my punches.

With the foundation set, I moved on to the essential punches – the jab, cross, hook, and uppercut. Each punch required precise body mechanics, and I diligently practiced the techniques to ensure I was executing them correctly. My trainer provided invaluable feedback, helping me refine my form and enhance my punch accuracy.

I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. It was a new experience, and I was eager to learn the sport that had always fascinated me. As I began practicing the fundamentals, I struggled a bit with coordinating my movements, but I also felt a sense of accomplishment with every improvement I made. I knew this was just the beginning of a challenging yet fulfilling journey.

 

I had a difficult time keeping up with the drills as i have very low stamina. However my coach pushed me through it and that is one of the challenges in boxing - to keep fighting no matter the circumstances 

 

Nervous, exhilarating 

 

To sharpen up my punches and work on my form. 

3. Points to remember from week 1!
Footwork is the most important aspect to ensure that you can reach all of your opponent's shots and keep your legs from feeling fatigued when receiving them.
 
4. Your feelings & thoughts
 It was a great experience to have my first-ever badminton training since I had been dreaming of training with a coach to learn the right techniques for a long time. I had so much fun, but at the same time, it was very exhausting. However, it was worth it.

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?
 I had some difficulties changing my habit of using the wrong grip and footwork, but with the guidance of the coach, I forced myself to adopt the correct techniques. Although it felt awkward at first, I can see gradual improvement as I continue to work on it.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far
Fun, Exciting

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)
In the second week, my primary focus will be on court positioning, as well as mastering basic shots like drop shots, smash, and netting. These skills are crucial for improving my overall gameplay and taking my badminton abilities to the next level. . 

 

2. What have you done? 

I completed watching, learning, and understanding all the basic elements of photography which includes camera/lens, sensor/shutter, aperture, and exposure from the lecture videos by Prof Peter Glendinning. There are also quizzes for every element at the end of video learning. 

 

3. Points to remember from week 1! 

Camera/Lens 

Lens has different focal length which is either a fixed lens or zoom lens. Focal length is the distance from the optical centre of the lens to the focal plane of camera when the image is focused on infinity. 50mm is a normal focal length for full frame sensor camera. If a shorter focal length lens such as 35mm lens is used on the same camera, the image will appear wide angle than 50mm lens. The shorter the focal length of the lens, the smaller the subject is going to appear on the sensor at the focal plane and the more far apart things are going to look in the scene. Vice versa for the longer the focal length of the lens, also known as telephoto lens. Different focal lengths, different angles of view and the effect of that angle of view depends a lot on the size of the sensor. For a full frame sensor, which is 36 by 24 mm, the normal focal length is 50mm. For an APS-C sensor, the normal focal length is about 30mm. For a Four Thirds sensor, the normal focal length is about 25mm. It is important to understand the relationship between the focal length of the lens and the size of the sensor as it is a key element in digital photography. 

Sensor/Shutter 

Sensor is a light sensitive material on a focal plane in a camera. It composed of surface with the pattern of tiny light sensitive cells, also known as Bayer Array, to record the amount of red (25%), or blue (25%), or green (50%) light from an object. White colour is produced when red, green, and blue (RGB) overlapped. Pixel is a size of one tiny space on sensor where light can hit which is covered by one of the colours. Different size sensors have a different megapixel count. Shutter is a set of two curtains that control the amount of time that light will be exposed on every sensor’s pixel (shutter speed), which result in the exposure (proper/under/over) of the final image. A short exposure means a very narrow slit between these two curtains (shorter/faster shutter speed). The shorter/faster the shutter speed, the lesser the amount of light received. 

 

Aperture 

Aperture is an interlocking leaves of metal that can open and close to create a circular hole. The aperture on most digital cameras is wide open until the moment of exposure. The size of the aperture is referred to as an f stop (f.). The larger the f. number (narrower aperture), the smaller the hole, the lesser the amount of light received. Correct aperture and shutter speed combinations is needed to create a proper exposure image. Different combinations that can create a proper exposure however will affect the quality of an image. 

4. Your feelings & thoughts 

At the beginning before enrolling this course, I am quite confused with all the functions and options in a camera setting. As I am finishing the learning about all the basics and fundamentals of camera, I am very satisfied as I roughly get a clear overview on how to control my camera when taking photography in term of its functions and menus such as focus, exposure and camera craft aspects. These are important foundation for me to gain the knowledge and skills that will help me take control of my photography. 

 

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope? 

I would say it is quite challenging as a very new beginner in photography to understand all the functions and have a good control of camera settings in just the first week. Different style of photography has its own camera settings that required a very experienced and expert photographer to capture the moments. I believe I am able to cope with these difficulties by viewing more photography online and keep capturing a lot of various photography. Practice makes permanent, as photography is an art that makes the moment permanent. 

 

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far 

Fascinating, exciting 

 

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2) 

I will be learning the similarities and differences of different camera capabilities and characteristics so to help me determine which might be most appropriate for the uses I plan to make of my own photographs. At the same time, I will continue to experiment with my own camera to pick up my own interest in photography even more. 

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)
I would like to practice basic yoga poses as much as possible. Always remember to use abdominal breathing to practice yoga.

Ho Xiang 

A181576 

26 July 2023
 
2. What have you done?
In the first week, my supervisor introduced me to the garden where it sells different types of plants and bonsai with various sizes and shapes. Plants with a huge size were suitable to place in the home page while the small size plants were suitable to decorate inside the house. I tried to adapt and familiarize with their working environment and surroundings. Besides, I also need to learn where they stored the equipment, pots, stones, soils, pesticide, etc.  Throughout the week, I was given simple tasks like helping them carry the stuff that they had restocked and watering the plants. 

 

- a healthy growing plant needs a good care (water, fertilizer, soil, pesticide).  

- different plants have their own care requirements due to their unique characteristics. 

Although it was energy consuming and exhausting doing gardening as it required much physical work, I felt calm at the same time due the green environment. In addition, I also felt joyful because as I did gardening and planting trees, I could save our earth to some extent from the greenhouse effect even if the effort was small. 

 
 5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope? 

There were too many different plants for me to remember their names and care requirements. Therefore, I tried to take note when my supervisor was explaining to me. Other than that, I needed to be patient when taking care of the plants because the weather was uncertain,  some days I needed to work under scorching sun while some days under rain. It was undeniably a tiring job.
 
 6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far 

Fun, Interesting
  
 7. Your plan for next week (Week 2) 

For the following week, I would like to try hand-on experience to plant a tree starting from preparing the soil, the seed, the fertilizer, etc. I would also try my best to remember the plants’ care requirements as much as possible. Rest well, and always be prepared for the uncertain weather.