Previously, I was writing about what I would like to see in the future of transport in Singapore. However, transport is not the only thing that I wish will be changed. As human beings, we like to strive to be better, but I strive to be lazier. There are a few things that I would like to see in the future so that it will help me to achieve a reclusive life.
Cooking:
In the near future, I will like to see that cooking be automated. With grocery delivery services, heavy items like rice and drinks will not require us to be carried from the supermarket/ wet market home, but delivered to us. If those items can be easily cooked by a machine, wouldn't it save a lot of time and effort? What I propose is to have a set of recipes that the machine can cook, preprogrammed. As time passes, there will be updates to the software to include more recipes or even fine tune the machine to make the food tastier. Even though I might be picky eater, I dislike some food but overall, as long as the food can be eaten and is not disgusting, it is fine.
Cleaning:
Currently, there aren't many automated cleaning machines or that they are still making progress. The most famous one will be the Roomba. I will prefer a robot that can clean the whole house smartly: the windows, toilets and etc. To clean a house properly requires a lot of time and effort. As a lazy person, my room is usually in a mess and how clean it is, is for me to know and for you to find out (not like I will allow you to find out).
Autonomous domestic helper:
I hope to see that all our household chores are automated by a robot. Cleaning, laundry, cooking.This robot will be a combination of the things that are mentioned. All these mundane chores, if we were able to remove it from our lives, how much time do you think we can save? That amount of time saved will enable me to sleep more or even do nothing more!
Downsides:
There are certainly cons to everything. With these household chores automated, people might question about the taste of the food and how with many things automated, we might lose the skills needed and even grow lazier. With us having to move less, we will grow fatter and more sedentary diseases will afflict us. However, that all boils down to what we want. There is certainly a choice for whatever we want to do. We choose to do the chores and tell the robot to go into sleep mode. That is not the point though, what I would like to do is to slack and continue to be lazy.
Of course with more software involved, there might be hackers trying to hack into the system and try to kill us. Let's hope that cyber security will be able to deter or even be a step ahead of hackers so that my reclusive life can be fulfilled.
Friday 26 February 2016
Sunday 21 February 2016
Recess Week!
It is finally recess week. Actually I am unsure if I am happy or sad. I am happy because there is finally a week of "break" where I do not have to wake up early everyday to go to school. However, it seems like I will still be required to be in school close to everyday. I am sad because it signifies half of a semester being over, yet I still don't know what is going on for my modules. I am just too tired everyday and there is no time to actually absorb what the professors taught.
I am really lagging behind my MA1506 lectures but I realised there are many assignments to do during this recess week. Even though it might seem like I only have 1 Mid terms exam which is MA1506, I have other assignments given which will take up time too.
Things that is similar to Mid Term Test:
GET1021:
Bloody assignment 1 that I took very looooonnnnnggggg to do.
ES2331:
CEP 1 which is a panel discussion that requires you to prepare before hand so that you won't stone during the discussion.
Things to do during recess week:
GET1021:
- Research on Energy Sustainability, Energy Poverty and Energy Security.
- Come up with graphic representation of the topic and present using only 5 slides.
ES2331:
- Reflection 1
EG1310:
- Assignment 2
- Assignment 3
- Write a proposal and come up with a design for our project so that we can give a presentation
MA1506:
- Study for Mid Terms (Chapter 1 "only")
- Catch up on lectures up till Chapter 4 (I am dying badly here) SAVE ME!!!
ME2103:
- Luckily there is no work for this module
- Practise the e- tutorials so that lab sessions will be easier and to familiarise with SolidWorks
EG1108:
- No work either
- Catch up on the lecutres (like wth is transient analysis and Phasors?????)
CCA:
- Work is never ending
Haiz, seems like this "break" will be another tough week. However, for everyone else, enjoy your mini "break" and study hard! I wish to have sufficient sleep everyday...
Good luck to me.
I am really lagging behind my MA1506 lectures but I realised there are many assignments to do during this recess week. Even though it might seem like I only have 1 Mid terms exam which is MA1506, I have other assignments given which will take up time too.
Things that is similar to Mid Term Test:
GET1021:
Bloody assignment 1 that I took very looooonnnnnggggg to do.
ES2331:
CEP 1 which is a panel discussion that requires you to prepare before hand so that you won't stone during the discussion.
Things to do during recess week:
GET1021:
- Research on Energy Sustainability, Energy Poverty and Energy Security.
- Come up with graphic representation of the topic and present using only 5 slides.
ES2331:
- Reflection 1
EG1310:
- Assignment 2
- Assignment 3
- Write a proposal and come up with a design for our project so that we can give a presentation
MA1506:
- Study for Mid Terms (Chapter 1 "only")
- Catch up on lectures up till Chapter 4 (I am dying badly here) SAVE ME!!!
ME2103:
- Luckily there is no work for this module
- Practise the e- tutorials so that lab sessions will be easier and to familiarise with SolidWorks
EG1108:
- No work either
- Catch up on the lecutres (like wth is transient analysis and Phasors?????)
CCA:
- Work is never ending
Haiz, seems like this "break" will be another tough week. However, for everyone else, enjoy your mini "break" and study hard! I wish to have sufficient sleep everyday...
Good luck to me.
Saturday 13 February 2016
What I Will Like To See In The Future Of Transport In Singapore
With Singapore trying to move towards becoming a car light city, I too believe that there is no need for a car. In Singapore, the estimated cost of owning a car is about $200,000 over 10 years. Crazy? Yes and since cars are depreciating goods, the cost of owning a car is really not worth it.
The government encourages people to take more public transport or even walk and cycle more so as to reduce the amount of cars present on the roads. Let's see how feasible these are in Singapore.
Walking:
Pros:
- A good form of exercise since people are getting more sedentary and move less. Walking more will certainly help to reduce weight gain even if it is not significant.
Cons:
- Slow
- Hot weather of Singapore makes it unbearable to walk for long distances
- Not able to travel long distances
Cycling:
Pros:
- A lot faster than walking
- A form of exercise
Cons:
- Cycling is getting more convenient but some routes are still not available for bicycles (eg. expressways)
- Still takes a long time to travel long distances
- Tiring if it is far
- Hot weather is unbearable
Public Transport (Buses and MRT)
Pros:
- Relatively cheap
- Air conditioned
Cons:
- VERY CROWDED ESPECIALLY PEAK PERIOD
- Getting more convenient but who wouldn't want to travel faster if there is a transport within their grasp
What I would like to see in the future will be pod like vehicles which are fully autonomous. It will be owned by a firm but you can request for them and will arrive below your block. Once you hop on, it will go to your destination as you stated. It will be like a taxi, but autonomous. However, the price has to be affordable like the current public transport of buses and mrt or twice the rate with a maximum of $5(?) This will bring in the comfort of not requiring to squeeze with random people and having some personal space to do work or even sleep. These vehicles will come in the number of seats as requested by the user. So maybe in the form of 1, 2, 4 and 7 seats.
Of course there won't be any more chances of meeting pretty girls or handsome guys on the public transport and brightening up your whole day. Or people going home together on the public transport to continue their conversation. Some social interaction might be reduced but buses and MRT should still be present but maybe at current prices.
However, in the near future, hopefully fully autonomous electric vehicles will be cheap enough, say $50,000 over 10 years, such that we will be able to enjoy the freedom of not having to drive. I do have a driving licence but I don't like to drive as it requires a lot of concentration and it does not allow me to do other things like catching up on my sleep. What I would like to see is cheap autonomous cars which will improve our transport system. Hopefully technology will be able to regulate the flow of traffic like allowing more cars to be packed within roads and flow smoothly.
I believe private ownership of cars will not extinct but I think it will certainly drop. Most likely, it will be owned by people who love to drive but it will still have features that allow the car to self drive in case the driver needed rest.
Somehow, I believe that this dream will never come true as it will add on to more cars present on the roads and maybe more roads will be needed to accommodate these. It will run against the car light society that the government envision and the amount of infrastructure needed to support these might be exorbitant. Life is tough, and one can only dream about it.
The government encourages people to take more public transport or even walk and cycle more so as to reduce the amount of cars present on the roads. Let's see how feasible these are in Singapore.
Walking:
Pros:
- A good form of exercise since people are getting more sedentary and move less. Walking more will certainly help to reduce weight gain even if it is not significant.
Cons:
- Slow
- Hot weather of Singapore makes it unbearable to walk for long distances
- Not able to travel long distances
Cycling:
Pros:
- A lot faster than walking
- A form of exercise
Cons:
- Cycling is getting more convenient but some routes are still not available for bicycles (eg. expressways)
- Still takes a long time to travel long distances
- Tiring if it is far
- Hot weather is unbearable
Public Transport (Buses and MRT)
Pros:
- Relatively cheap
- Air conditioned
Cons:
- VERY CROWDED ESPECIALLY PEAK PERIOD
- Getting more convenient but who wouldn't want to travel faster if there is a transport within their grasp
What I would like to see in the future will be pod like vehicles which are fully autonomous. It will be owned by a firm but you can request for them and will arrive below your block. Once you hop on, it will go to your destination as you stated. It will be like a taxi, but autonomous. However, the price has to be affordable like the current public transport of buses and mrt or twice the rate with a maximum of $5(?) This will bring in the comfort of not requiring to squeeze with random people and having some personal space to do work or even sleep. These vehicles will come in the number of seats as requested by the user. So maybe in the form of 1, 2, 4 and 7 seats.
Of course there won't be any more chances of meeting pretty girls or handsome guys on the public transport and brightening up your whole day. Or people going home together on the public transport to continue their conversation. Some social interaction might be reduced but buses and MRT should still be present but maybe at current prices.
However, in the near future, hopefully fully autonomous electric vehicles will be cheap enough, say $50,000 over 10 years, such that we will be able to enjoy the freedom of not having to drive. I do have a driving licence but I don't like to drive as it requires a lot of concentration and it does not allow me to do other things like catching up on my sleep. What I would like to see is cheap autonomous cars which will improve our transport system. Hopefully technology will be able to regulate the flow of traffic like allowing more cars to be packed within roads and flow smoothly.
I believe private ownership of cars will not extinct but I think it will certainly drop. Most likely, it will be owned by people who love to drive but it will still have features that allow the car to self drive in case the driver needed rest.
Somehow, I believe that this dream will never come true as it will add on to more cars present on the roads and maybe more roads will be needed to accommodate these. It will run against the car light society that the government envision and the amount of infrastructure needed to support these might be exorbitant. Life is tough, and one can only dream about it.
Tuesday 9 February 2016
The Transport System That I Would Like To See In Singapore
As you know, the main transportation system for everyone in Singapore is mainly bus and the MRT. I am not a fan of taking bus as the arrival timings are unpredictable due to bugs in the bus arrival time apps or maybe due to bad traffic. Some buses have very low frequency also. All these makes planning very difficult. Hence, I will like to discuss more on MRT.
The current MRT system that is know of: (Purely my perception)
Green line:
- Slow, especially from Pasir Ris to Lavender
- Super crowded (because many people lives around those area and MRT is one of the faster and cheaper means of transport) It is hard to board the train sometimes during peak hours
- Hot, even with the air con, the sun is really bright and because the stations are open, with natural wind, the hot air will displace the cooler air in the MRT when the MRT reaches a station.
Circle line:
- Seems faster
- Less crowded during non peak hours but still very crowded during peak hours
- Colder, with the stations being air conditioned too, the temperature in the MRT can be maintained better.
- Less glaring on the eyes due to the lack of sunlight penetrating into the train. (Allows me to use my phone easier)
Downtown line:
- Less crowded as it is newly opened
- Similar to the circle line
The rest of the link I am not sure as I hardly use them.
Based on my experience of travelling to NUS almost everyday, I feel that the journey is really long -- at least 1.5h, and 3h to and fro. It is really a pain to travel but as a poor university student, I have to make do with it.
Proposal:
I will like to see a parallel train track that will be like an express train. The plan is to have a train that connects from East to South then to West and another one that goes from North to South. So for example bedok is the station for East, City Hall is for South and Jurong East is for West. The express train will only stop in these stations. People who would like to go to Pasir Ris, will have to transfer to green line.
Pros:
- This will greatly reduce the amount of time spent for people who travel across Singapore everyday.
- Just a speculation, shorter time for travelling might reduce the need for cars as cars are mainly used for convenience and speed.
Cons:
- It might not be profitable for train operators as it serves only that specific group of people.
- The extra cost for the building of these infrastructure might not be worth the extra money gained.
- Current Interchange stations might already be at their maximum capacity and any extra usage of these stations might cause congestions and higher unhappiness of the people.
- If a train breaks down, it might be hard for the people to evacuate from the train and find alternative means of transport, unless money is spent on evacuation points along the tracks so that people can transfer to other forms of transport.
If this plan were to go ahead, it is likely that the prices for the express train will be higher to offset the costs involved. Hence, based on the view point of a consumer (hopefully it isn't just me who wishes that this idea might take off), it will greatly help to reduce the amount of life they spent just on travelling. However, based on the business view point, this idea might not take off due to it being less profitable and the cost incurred might not be worth the extra money earned.
This is just my viewpoint on how I would like to see Singapore improve on its current MRT services (I would love to have this express train). Let's not talk about breakdowns of trains and focus on the ideal.
The current MRT system that is know of: (Purely my perception)
Green line:
- Slow, especially from Pasir Ris to Lavender
- Super crowded (because many people lives around those area and MRT is one of the faster and cheaper means of transport) It is hard to board the train sometimes during peak hours
- Hot, even with the air con, the sun is really bright and because the stations are open, with natural wind, the hot air will displace the cooler air in the MRT when the MRT reaches a station.
Circle line:
- Seems faster
- Less crowded during non peak hours but still very crowded during peak hours
- Colder, with the stations being air conditioned too, the temperature in the MRT can be maintained better.
- Less glaring on the eyes due to the lack of sunlight penetrating into the train. (Allows me to use my phone easier)
Downtown line:
- Less crowded as it is newly opened
- Similar to the circle line
The rest of the link I am not sure as I hardly use them.
Based on my experience of travelling to NUS almost everyday, I feel that the journey is really long -- at least 1.5h, and 3h to and fro. It is really a pain to travel but as a poor university student, I have to make do with it.
Proposal:
I will like to see a parallel train track that will be like an express train. The plan is to have a train that connects from East to South then to West and another one that goes from North to South. So for example bedok is the station for East, City Hall is for South and Jurong East is for West. The express train will only stop in these stations. People who would like to go to Pasir Ris, will have to transfer to green line.
Pros:
- This will greatly reduce the amount of time spent for people who travel across Singapore everyday.
- Just a speculation, shorter time for travelling might reduce the need for cars as cars are mainly used for convenience and speed.
Cons:
- It might not be profitable for train operators as it serves only that specific group of people.
- The extra cost for the building of these infrastructure might not be worth the extra money gained.
- Current Interchange stations might already be at their maximum capacity and any extra usage of these stations might cause congestions and higher unhappiness of the people.
- If a train breaks down, it might be hard for the people to evacuate from the train and find alternative means of transport, unless money is spent on evacuation points along the tracks so that people can transfer to other forms of transport.
If this plan were to go ahead, it is likely that the prices for the express train will be higher to offset the costs involved. Hence, based on the view point of a consumer (hopefully it isn't just me who wishes that this idea might take off), it will greatly help to reduce the amount of life they spent just on travelling. However, based on the business view point, this idea might not take off due to it being less profitable and the cost incurred might not be worth the extra money earned.
This is just my viewpoint on how I would like to see Singapore improve on its current MRT services (I would love to have this express train). Let's not talk about breakdowns of trains and focus on the ideal.
Sunday 7 February 2016
Chinese New Year
Finally, it is Chinese New Year Eve and I can take a break from school. However, that isn't really the case. During this long weekend/long break of 4 days, I have many goals to be achieved. I am lagging behind my math lectures by about 4 webcast (Lecture 4 currently out of 8 lectures), my assignments for EG1310 and GET1021. Many tutorials to be done but I feel that this long break is mainly used for me to catch up on my sleep. I did not have sufficient sleep everyday especially the weekdays. I only have weekends to repay the sleep debt. Why is that so? The earliest that I can sleep is 12am and I will have to wake up at 6am. That is the maximum, 6 hours. Which is why I require to drink coffee everyday and the effects of caffeine is waning. In the past, when I first started drinking coffee/tea, I will be able to drink it at around 6+am and I will not be able to sleep until only after 11.30pm. Times have changed, I have grown older and coffee is not working as well already. A comfortable lecture seat with nice background music will help me to sleep very well for at least half an hour. This is also a reason why I don't go for math lectures; I will just be sleeping through half of the lecture and not knowing what was going on. There are also negative effects of missing lectures. As I have mentioned above, I will not have the time and the self discipline to watch the webcast and catch up to the latest video.
How will all these affect me? I believe that our CAP can only go down. How depressing, but that is life. One have to accept that life is tough and persevere on.
How will all these affect me? I believe that our CAP can only go down. How depressing, but that is life. One have to accept that life is tough and persevere on.
Tuesday 2 February 2016
Busy With School
I have not updated my blog for about 2 weeks because I was really busy with school recently. With competitions coming up and CCA getting crazier, it is hard to get enough sleep and catch up with school work. I am also thinking if I missed out any useful advices or tips for people out there who wants to know more about life in NUS. If anyone has any suggestion, you can tell me and I will blog about it if I know the contents and when I have the time. Otherwise, this blog will be back to me typing about my boring and tiring daily life.
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