My Teaching Observed

Last Friday, I was observed by Ellen Gasparovic (Senior Teaching Fellow, Department of Mathematics) and the following are the comments I received from her:

• Board work is beautifully organized.
• Your examples are good and your explanations are clear.
• Engaged your class by asking questions often and getting them involved, even at 8am!
• Good pace, volume, and tone of voice!
• I liked the fact that you gave them a problem to try on their own.
• Good work!

Needless to say I was a euphoric bloke after the observation/review!

An Eventful Weekend

Yesterday, I went to the department’s fall picnic in the afternoon and John Helm’s party in the evening.

Swarnava Mukhopadhyay, Daniel Orr, and Eric Fu

Like last year, there were hamburgers, salad, chips, and drinks. It was nice talking to some of the first-years. At 20:45, my roommate and I headed to John Helm’s party. His apartment was rather crowded since he invited a lot of people. I had the opportunity to meet Andrew’s and Emmanuel’s roommate — Henry. Joanna, Carole, and I were talking to Henry most of the time. He was very friendly and approachable.

My Saturday was unusually filled; while it was fun, it also equalled to a nonproductive day.

Bits and Pieces

I have recently made my photos on Flickr private. Please understand this is a sheer privacy concern — if we know each other, you are definitely more than welcome to browse through my photo albums. Log in Flickr with your existing Yahoo! account and request to add me as a friend. Once I approve your request, you will be my Flickr buddy and henceforth granted access to view my photos. If your username does not reflect your name, it would be very helpful if you could include your name so that I can identify your accurately. I apologize for any inconvenience and certainly appreciate your patience.

***

"Goodies" from UNC Campus Heath Service

I am finally done with this tedious routine. What a relief! Yahoo!

***

Last Friday, I was stressed out after attending a notationally heavy class which I did not understand. Symbols such as and were driving me nuts. I would need some time to imagine/visualize what these sets are; but the professor seemed to think that they should register in less than 2 seconds, and moved on with lecturing without pausing.

So, after class, a bunch of my classmates (apparently I was not alone) decided to get some beer on Franklin Street. I was rather tired, so I did not join them. But I decided to get a bottle of wine while I do my grocery shopping before heading home. I got myself a bottle of sauvignon blanc, and when the cashier rang it up, I handed her my driver’s license for ID verification. She politely declined; when I perused the receipt, the spot that usually indicates the customer’s date of birth stated instead “Cashier has bypassed age verification.“

My goodness, I am not even in my late 20s, yet!

***

My teaching is going well thus far. Even though Math 110 (College Algebra) covers elementary material, but introducing the notion of quadratic equations to first-time learners does require considerable amount of effort. Students generally find completing the square absurdly hard to perform. Nonetheless I am enjoying this experience, since deep down of a corner of my heart, I am passionate about being an educator.

***

Last weekend was the Labor Day weekend. I was in the mood of hosting a small and simple dinner with some of my friends in the Mathematics Department. I invited two friends, Carole Agyeman-Prempeh and Indrani Rao, to my humble abode.

Almost done cooking

Carole arrived before I was even done preparing the meal, which was nice, as I had someone to chat with while cooking.

Boston lettuce, drunken chicken, and seafood platter

Voilà! The dinner I prepared consisted of three main entrées: Boston lettuce with oyster sauce, Chinese style drunken chicken (a cold dish), and seafood platter with tamarind sauce. I had a pot of herbal chicken soup to complement these dishes.

Myself, Carole, and Indrani

After dinner, we went over to Indrani’s apartment (she lives in a neighborhood which is 15 minutes walk away) to taste some chocolate cake that she baked. It was a wonderful way to spend a relaxing evening.

An Avalanche

A hiker had trained for months before he hiked a steep mountain. As he ascended, he was hopeful that he could reach the peak and fly his flag there. He was quite optimistic and he certainly had the support he needed from his friends and family.

Unfortunately, the thing happened — an unexpected avalanche swept him a few thousands feet down. Gravity, avalanche’s best buddy, was not shy in providing assistance for sure. When the hiker thought that he was close enough to the peak, he was suddenly rather far apart from it.

At the bottom of the hill, he strives to make a comeback. He is determined to go through another round of self training and attempt to climb the mountain again four months later. He tries to be sanguine about the prospects; but at the same time, he might have to give up on climbing this very dream mountain should the second attempt failed.

C’est la vie maybe?

A New Semester

Today marks the first day of Fall 2009, the beginning of the second year of my graduate education.

I am enrolled in three mathematics courses. They are

• Math 676 — Modules and Linear Algebra
• Math 753 — Measure and Integration
• Math 781 — Differentiable Manifolds

I shall spare you the description of these courses. A few years back, I would have never imagined myself saying “I am taking some 700-level math classes.” Aside from these math classes, I am also taking Grad 810, a course titled “Communication for International Teaching Assistants.” I am not sure how this class is going to benefit me, but I should be able to gauge a week or two into the semester. I am seeking for a seminar which focuses on teaching tips and techniques as well as classroom culture, instead of the language barrier in English. I can always drop it if the emphasis is otherwise.

Furthermore, I am continuing my French language education. Je veux améliorer mon français (I want to improve my French). I spoke to the instructor of French 300, French Composition and Grammar, and she had graciously allowed me to sit in her class. As much as I would like to enroll as a regular student, I think I am better off without the extra stress from my obligations in my French class. If I have the time, I shall try to submit the assignments; after all, doing your homework and getting feedbacks on them are the best approaches in any language learning, I reckon.

Apart from my being a student in a classroom, I have the opportunity to play the role of an instructor. I have been assigned to teach Math 110 — Algebra this fall. Section 001 runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 08:00 through 08:50 (See UNC Course Catalog — Mathematics). I do not know how exciting the material is going to be, but I am definitely thrilled to assume an instructor’s role officially for the first time.

As the new semester begins, I hope that the following four months will not be as rough as last fall semester, and I look forward to teaching Math 110 and to spicing up my French!

One Year and Counting…

So I have been here for a year already?

The 12-hour-plus drive from Michigan to North Carolina seems not too distant from yesterday. I attended an orientation and settled into my previous apartment on Smith Level Road. I got excited about my first ever semester in graduate school; soon being-the-newbie thrill withered away as the path I traverse had started to turn bumpy.

The transition from being an undergraduate to being a graduate student was not a smooth segue as I thought it would be. There were moments of joys, but frustration was not shy in outnumbering the former. I ranted a lot to my family and friends, and for that I am always grateful for you. I thank my parents and sister for their encouragement and unconditional love. I thank my friends for listening to my predicaments. I want to reiterate my thanks especially to Keng Yang for being there for my tumultuous first semester, to Yun Xin for advice which is anything but quixotic, and to Jin Ye for her faith in my graduate career.

The Chapel Hill/Carrboro area seems friendlier as time passes by (with respect to my expectations, anyway). When I first got here, my unfamiliarity with this place quickly put this town in a bad light. Whenever I encountered certain harshness pertaining to living here, I began thinking about how marvelous Ann Arbor was. Despite having settling into this town after a year, I still think that the almost-zero annual snowfall is discouraging and the transit system definitely has room for improvement.

One year has passed. So this makes me a second-year graduate student from now onwards. It is unbelievable how time flies.

Weekend and etc

Last Saturday, I woke up rather early (by my standard) to go biking with a math colleague. I biked to his apartment (which is about 3 miles away) to meet up with him. We then biked together to downtown Carrboro for breakfast at Elmo’s Diner.

It was my first time at Elmo’s Diner. The décor in the diner reminded me so much of Angelo’s, a popular breakfast diner in Ann Arbor. Memories in Ann Arbor started to flow back. I had always brought my guests to Angelo’s for breakfast during their stay in Ann Arbor. I decided to order my favorite entrée in Angelo’s — egg benedict. Ah, the taste of poached eggs on toasted slices of bread, all topped with delicious hollandaise sauce.

When the waitress was taking our orders, I expressed my interest in getting an egg benedict. She broke the disappointing news to me, informing me that the entrée was not available as they ran out of hollandaise sauce. Bummer! “Don’t despair,” I told myself. the chicken enchilada on the other page of the menu seemed to be equally appealing. She apologized again, as the “chicken” option was out. I could get a spinach enchilada, though. Finally, my third choice was available. I settled with quiche of the day, with bacon, turkey, and Swiss cheese.

***

Today, I took an afternoon off to catch a film. I went to Lumina Theatre and watched The Ugly Truth. It’s a romantic comedy by Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. There is no spoiler alert as a disclaimer since I don’t plan to spill the bean. Let’s just say that I found it cynical and hilarious. I had a good laugh throughout the film.

***

This summer, I am watching two series — Royal Pains on USA Network and Mental on FOX. They are both medical dramas with interesting perspectives and interesting flavors. Royal Pains is about a concierge doctor in the Hamptons for the rich and the poor; while Mental features a psychiatrist who handles his patients and treatments in a novel, perhaps somewhat unorthodox, way. I recommend both TV series if you have some spare time.

Autumn is approaching, which is both exciting and worrying for me. You see, I think I may be a TV junkie — I watch quite a lot of shows during the regular season. To name a few, I follow House MD, Prison Break (before its finale), Heroes, Chuck, Lie to Me, and The Big Bang Theory. I ought to thank the industry though — they have certainly made my graduate school life more sustainable.

Zion and Bryce Foregone

If a last minute plan took place, I would not have been in Carrboro this weekend.

Wee Loon and I discussed a possible weekend trip to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, the state where he is spending his remaining time in the United States. This possibility came out when we were chatting on Skype. Even though I have been to cities in Utah (Salt Lake City and Park City), I have yet to explore national parks there. The thought of a almost-free trip beckoned me.

Almost-free because he has a huge apartment for me to sleep over, and I have enough miles to redeem an award ticket.

I called Asia Miles customer service (Asia Miles is Cathay Pacific’s frequent flier program; both American Airlines (AA) and Cathay Pacific (CX) are part of OneWorld global alliance) to inquire about miles redemption. Since AA does not have direct flights from Raleigh-Durham (RDU) to Salt Lake City (SLC), I expected to transit at their hub at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). The CX/Asia Miles representative later confirmed my surmise (i.e. RDU-DFW-SLC).

However, to my despair, there was no seats available for redemption for this weekend.

Disappointed I was, but at the same time I was not so surprised since last minute award ticket is usually scarce. Quel dommage! It’s a shame that we have to ditch the plan. After all, this mini national park trip would have been perfect — fabulous company and exciting destinations, non?

District of Columbia

For a complete photo album, please visit my Flickr page at http://tr.im/washingtondc. Wee Loon’s take can be read here.

Seal of the President of the United States (by Wee Loon Ong)

Wee Loon and I spent two full days in the nation’s capital. As we promenaded the city under the generally pleasant summer weather (when compared to Chapel Hill, NC of course), we attempted to cover as many places as possible on our itinerary.

Hilton Hotel in the Dupont Circle neighborhood (Wee Loon Ong)

I managed to get a pretty decent deal — three nights at Hilton Hotel situated in Dupont Circle, a vibrant local neighborhood with chic shops and fancy restaurants.

Starbucks at Dupont Circle (by Wee Loon Ong)

This is one of my favorite Starbucks cafés in the U.S., which is situated right at the roundabout in Dupont Circle. The green-house like design provides a nice view of busting traffic outside. I had been there during my first trip four years ago with Steve, and I had continued to get my coffee every morning before Wee Loon and I hopped on the subway at a nearby station.

National Archives (by Wee Loon Ong)

Even though this is my third visit to Washington DC, I have to say that this trip is by far the most educational, as far as I am concerned. We kicked off our first day with National Archives where the three important documents are preserved — the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and U.S. Constitution. We were greeted with a long queue; nonetheless the line was worth queueing for the Rotunda access.

The Rotunda in the National Archives (by Wee Loon Ong)

Visitors are seen to be busy perusing important archives of the nation. The Rotunda is where those three important documents are exhibited in the National Archives.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (by Wee Loon Ong)

We stopped by (at the entrance of) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) building for a photo shot. The building is conveniently located diagonally across the street (Pennsylvania Avenue) from the National Archives.

Outside of the Library of Congress (by Wee Loon Ong)

We marched (hmm… actually we took the subway) to the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. The architecture within the building was impressive. My lack of jargon in art/architecture impedes my attempt to describe it to you. Through a guided tour, we visited a viewing deck where we were able to get a bird view of the main reference area of the library, called the Main Reading Room. Plaster female figures can be seen supported on gigantic marble columns that surround the room. They feature eight civilized notions, namely religion, commerce, history, art, philosophy, poetry, law, and science.

Library of Congress (by Wee Loon Ong)

We made a short stop at the Supreme Court before we concluded our first day. On the second day, we toured the U.S. Capitol. They have the strictest security clearance for visitors! A lot of items were not allowed, in particular aerosols. I had to leave my sun screen and disinfectant spray at the hotel as a result.

U.S. Capitol (by Wee Loon Ong)

Apart from the annoying security clearance, the guided tour in the U.S. Capitol was very educational. I learned a great deal about the history of the United States, as well as its government. There were so much aspects of the House of Representative and the Senate of which I was unaware. Trivia were shared by the tour guide from time to time as we walked around the majestic building. Wee Loon and I had the opportunity to see the auditorium where the House of Representative debates take place.

The dome in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol (by Wee Loon Ong)

Of course we did not miss the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

The White House (by Wee Loon Ong)

The weather was unbearably hot when we were about to leave the White House for the memorials. We ended up calling it a day earlier instead. A mediocre Italian dinner at a seemingly fancy Italian restaurant marked the end of our trip, as well as our petit reunion after five years of not seeing each other.

The One-Day Road Trip

For a complete photo album, please visit my Flickr page at http://tr.im/baltimore. Wee Loon’s take can be read here.

On Monday June 29, Wee Loon and I woke up early to begin our 5 to 6 hours drive to the Baltimore and District of Columbia (DC) area. After having the delectable cheesecakes from Cheesecake Factory, we left the apartment at approximately 08:00.

I was delighted to drive a full-size car (Chevrolet Impala — one of my favorites by the way), as to the compact-size vehicle that I initially reserved. When I was picking up the rental car, the receptionist was particularly kind to offer me a two-tier upgrade (i.e. compact to mid-size to full-size) at no cost.

Along Interstate 95 North (by Wee Loon Ong)

We abandoned the initially planned Shenandoah Cavern stop en route. It was too ambitious (time constraint wise) and practically almost impossible to achieve. So the drive was a direct service to Baltimore, MD. The drive provided an opportunity for us to really catch up, since we were busy touring the Carrboro and Chapel Hill area the day before.

Inner harbor of Baltimore (by Wee Loon Ong)

It was half past one when we arrived at Baltimore. The downtown area was overwhelmed with crowds and it was rather a challenging task to look for a parking garage that did not have the Full sign.

Colorful fish in the National Aquarium (by Wee Loon Ong)

After a quick lunch at Chipotle, we bought our admission tickets into the National Aquarium. Overall, the aquarium was okay. I would personally give it a B+. As far as my aquarium experience goes, I think that Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL is the best. They secure a solid A from me. The second best aquarium I have been to is the KLCC Aquaria in Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia. I certainly award them an A-.

A lazy crocodile enjoying the attention it is getting (by Wee Loon Ong)

Back to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD. The total experience package (for the admission ticket) includes general admission as well as the penguin dolphin show and a 4D immersion theater admission. As usual, the penguins’ dolphins’ ability to perform acts was impressive, and the 4D show was at times unpredictable especially with all the sense stimulations. Sprays of water were being directed right into our faces when the ocean scene came up and our legs were tickled when the film moved to a rattlesnake take.

Wee Loon and I at the National Aquarium, Baltimore (by Wee Loon Ong)

We decided to adjourned to Washington DC for dinner at about 18:00. We took several pictures outside of the aquarium before leaving. The photo on top was taken at the main entrance of the aquarium, while the one below features a special pedestrian crossing. The crossing has a real pedestrian light and the special pedestrians are jellyfish!

Jellyfish crossing? (by Wee Loon Ong)

On our way to the car park, I stopped by Barnes and Noble to get my Starbucks fix. Jason called from Britain and greeted Wee Loon while I lined up to order my drink.

A collection of tea in Starbucks (by Wee Loon Ong)

By the time we returned the car, had dinner, and checked into Hilton Hotel, we listlessly took a refreshing shower and dived into our dreams on those comfortable beds.