Living in a Muslim Country

I was schooled at both Convent primary and secondary school during my 11 years of education at Malaysia. Although originally a mission school, it is partly subsidised by the government. Thus, the school has many Malay teachers, much more compared to the other races; Chinese and Indian.

For those who are not familiar with Azan or adhān, it is the Muslims’ call to prayer. It is recited five times a day summoning Muslims to their mandatory prayers. The purpose of this loud pronouncement is to make available to everyone the substance of Islamic beliefs. Loudspeakers are installed in the mosques to project the Azan to its surroundings. Since Malaysia is an Islamic country, it is very common to hear this near the mosques. I can hear this in my secondary school too because the mosque is less than 100 meters away. Usually, during lessons, the teachers will pause for a few minutes to respect the Azan.

One day, one of our teachers was on medical leave and there were no relief teachers available to enter our class. The noise level usually gets out of control when everyone chats in the own cliques. Unfortunately, the azan was recited during that period and we couldn’t hear it. The teacher on duty happens to be on parole during that period and stopped at our class. She was very furious with us because we did not respect the azan recital and ordered the whole class to stand for that period which was about 30 minutes and sat in the whole time. When it was almost over, the explained that we should respect other religion’s practices especially in a country where there are three main races living together.

Of course, at only 14 years of age, we couldn’t quite connect with her and thought that she was being ridiculous making us stand for 30 minutes just because we did not hear the azan. Actually, I don’t think we would have quietened down even if we heard the azan. So, while standing, many of us stared at her and pulled our long faces. There were no forms of verbal conflict as we were raised not to argue with teachers. However, after she left, we talked behind her back because didn’t understand why we should observe silence for the Muslim’s call to prayer.

Now, being more matured and culturally sensitive, I would think that it was very stupid of us not to respect the azan and quieten down for just a few minutes. It wasn’t hard at all and we were studying side by side with Malays too. So, it’s the least we could have done. I am sure my classmates who have also grown older now would agree with me that we should have lowered down our volume. If I were to evaluate the situation now, I think apologising to the teacher at that point of time would have gotten us out of trouble.

Anyone living in a Muslim country would have had the same interpretation as me; knowing that we need to respect the Azan and be quiet for the Muslims to respond to the call. For those who are not familiar with the culture might think that this is absurd. In countries where religious duties are preformed in the personal spaces, it wouldn’t be rational that everyone would need to pause their activities especially during political meetings for a call to prayer.

Personal Statement

My greatest strengths would be perseverance and being personable. Perseverance has been demonstrated via my strong interest in research opportunities. I have had the chance to be in two research programmes while pursuing my degree in Life Sciences. One of which is the Undergraduate Research Programme in Science which I participated in my second semester of year one. It greatly influenced my perceptions and surfaced my childhood ambition of wanting to be a marine biologist.

After my second year of studies, I interned at Tropical Marine Science Institute, Singapore. There, I experienced the ‘real’ field trips where I was to dig in the mangroves for polychaetes and bivalves. It really brought me out of my comfort zone but gave me satisfaction at the same time. I believe that it was also a test of perseverance especially when we needed to wake up early to catch the tide and return to the lab afterwards.

Being very personable, I work very well in a team. I can talk to people I just met and easily expand my network of friends. Going to many camps as a teenager also helped exercise my social skills. I have always been the ‘bubbly girl’. During my internship, I also gained favour with people I met and got to understand career in Marine Biology better through many conversations. I thank God for this trait of mine because it has helped me in becoming who I am and I believe it will continue to be an asset for my career.

*language problems edited.

Am I hire-able?

Hi guys and girls,

I am doing my application letter in regards to the internship offered by Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). It is opened to undergraduate and graduate students as well as fresh grads. More specifically, I am applying for the Internship in Environmental Studies and have chosen a project (out of many that they offer) which I am interested in for this application; Oyster Restoration and Gelatinous Zooplankton in Chesapeake Bay.

There's a short video clip about the program at their website: http://www.serc.si.edu/pro_training/internships/internships.aspx

Here's some information about the project I am interested in. I am supposed to send in the application letter to the project supervisor itself.

Oyster Restoration and Gelatinous Zooplankton in Chesapeake Bay
Season: Summer Project
Supervisor: Dr. Denise Breitburg , Estuarine Ecologist

What is the project about?

• introduction of a non-native oyster to Chesapeake Bay
• research on the ecology of jellyfish and ctenophores
• examine potential risks and benefits of the proposed introduction (oysters)
• study the abundance and distribution of gelatinous zooplankton in the Rhode River near SERC

What do interns do?

• opportunity to conduct small-scale investigations in oyster ecology and restoration or gelatinous zooplankton behavior, reproduction, and ecology
• learn field sampling techniques and experimental design
• become familiar with an array of techniques including measurements of oyster disease prevalence and intensity, culturing fish eggs and larvae, and conducting experiments on ctenophore reproduction

Who should apply?

• Interns interested in ecology, behavior and estuarine restoration
• willingness to get wet, dirty and hot are important because of extensive fieldwork
• Willingness to spend time in the field and laboratory, and use microscopy routinely
• Interest in ecology and behavior

Application Letter

Block 38 Dover Road
#05-261
Singapore 130038

2nd September 2009

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Attn: Internship Coordinator
P.O. Box 28
647 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, MD 21037-0028

Dear Sir/Mdm.,

I am interested in the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center internship program and wish to apply for a position in Fall 2010.

I discovered this program on the SERC website and am particularly interested in it because it enables interns to work on projects and learn different techniques through hands on experience. Internships offered in the Ecology of Coastal Ecosystems and Population and Community Ecology captivated my attention because I know this is a field related to my career. Being able to participate in this internship will help me gain the experience I need and help me make better decisions enrolling into a graduate school. SERC is a leading research center in environmental studies which aims to provide solutions to environmental challenges. I do not only want to study for the sake of knowledge but to be able to provide answers to ecological questions we face. It will be my honor to get training and contribute to an institution whose mission statement I can relate to.

After looking at the projects offered by SERC, I would like to express my interest in the Oyster Restoration and Gelatinous Zooplankton in Chesapeake Bay project. Having worked twice with bivalves, it is hard not to develop a liking for them. Prior to this, I worked as an intern at Tropical Marine Science Institute and have gained experience in the field sampling estuarine specimens. Thus, I know what to expect working at intertidal zones. I also did polychaete identification and algae counts using the microscope for my projects so I am familiar with the microscope and have no problems working with it. I am more than willing to spend time at the field and laboratory to assist and learn. As I have not had any opportunity to work with jellyfish, I find this project hard to resist.

Having said so, I know I have great interest in this project and hope that my skills gained from previous internship would be of great help to the project. With my previous experience and interest, I will be a suitable candidate to assist in this research project. I will greatly appreciate the opportunity given to conduct research in oyster ecology and restoration.

Please contact me via the email address and phone number indicated below. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

Audrey Wong
Cell phone: +65 84117754
Email: audreywal@gmail.com
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Tell me how I can improve on it :)
Preferably strengh and weaknesses. Teehee.