tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21660615319548811082024-03-13T01:09:01.432-07:00in the midst of a fishful existenceCarnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-36097452618796265042014-07-02T09:38:00.003-07:002014-07-02T09:42:33.252-07:00success!The weeks after my successful viva had been hectic as well. I did my minor corrections, and after approval of the final manuscript, I sent the file for printing and binding. Then the final submission. And waiting for graduation.<br />
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I graduated last 25th June 2014. That was another major milestone. My PhD journey which started in 2009 has reached its final destination. After which another journey begins - or resumes from previous, i.e. back to the workforce.</div>
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So here I am now. I have left Scotland and have returned to Thailand. And with a couple or so of job prospects. </div>
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This blog ends with this article. Further blog postings will be at my <a href="http://sweetcarnation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Carnation... because life is beautiful</a> blog.</div>
Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-46491437753609973162014-05-14T04:11:00.002-07:002014-05-14T09:26:09.564-07:00the vivaSo after the submission of thesis I had to wait for the viva, an oral examination or defense.<br />
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That was last week. Now I am enjoying my new status, as a new PhD (a graduand and will be a graduate soon). As my supervisor said, I came out of it unscathed! Yes, after all the hard work, early mornings, late nights, and in-betweens, I can now relax. I have some minor corrections to make. And doing cosmetic stuff on my graphs, i.e. change the colours to black patterns. Tedious stuff but got to do it.<br />
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Just smiling now, and enjoying the weather...thanking one and all for the help, encouragement and support.<br />
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<br />Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-56351858789046727712014-05-03T07:15:00.001-07:002014-05-03T07:16:07.901-07:00submission<span style="font-size: large;">another milestone, a bigger one this time. submission of my phd thesis. it took me very long hours to work on it ... and less sleep ... but finally got it all together but it is not perfect. so now i am reading through my manuscript, the same one being read by my examiners before my oral final exam (viva voce), and i have found a number of mistakes already. thank God finally got it done. the trainor in our phd writing workshop said that the failure of phd students is not to submit their thesis, so if you submit, you are already one step to success!</span><br />
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Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-92013434045203708412014-02-07T11:37:00.000-08:002014-02-07T11:38:17.216-08:00a small milestone...<span style="font-size: large;">Today a small milestone in my PhD journey was achieved. I was able to submit my thesis title to the Student Admin office. As per regulations, thesis titles need to be submitted at least 2 months prior to final thesis submission. This means my title should be the final one. Minor changes are allowed but it is preferred to have no more changes. So it is a small milestone but still major for me as this means I really have to tighten things with my manuscript. After submission, I went back to my PhD desk and did not feel like doing anything with my manuscript. And it was Friday afternoon as well. But I have to mark my calendar re: how many weeks before final submission. I have to do a weekly countdown and be firm with myself regarding the use of my time. It's true that I have submitted my draft manuscript to my supervisor but there are still lots of work to do on it. So I can not relax that much as yet ... the journey continues...</span><br />
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Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-82691801908905714142014-02-06T03:32:00.001-08:002014-02-06T03:32:15.407-08:002014 nowSo what is going on with me now? Am I still in the midst of a fishful existence? Still of course! Not just fish but shrimp as well! And so many other stuff....my world now is full of words, numbers, papers, books, graphs, tables, etc .... I am writing, reading, understanding, etc... creating mind maps sometimes... just trying to finish my manuscript. It.Is.Hard. It is like, you read a lot, and there are lots of ideas out there, and you have your own ideas as well. They are all swirling inside your head. How to get them all down in paper? And then you need to balance your life with something non-fish. Just so you can have a peaceful existence this time. Music, that's it! Other topics to read also helps. Cooking. Baking. Shopping. The latter one is limited coz of budget constraints. So that's me at this time. Hope to get back to blog writing again on a regular basis.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shared food with Bangladeshi, Greek, Mexican & Omani friends last Sunday. I cooked the noodles. </td></tr>
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<br />Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-30785275446281982052013-08-02T02:39:00.001-07:002013-08-02T02:39:50.486-07:00SEAT Global» Blog Archive » Thailand’s labour changesThis is about what I am working on as part of my PhD research ...<br />
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<a href="http://seatglobal.eu/2013/06/thailands-labour-changes/#.Uft-NtRnrrw.blogger">SEAT Global» Blog Archive » Thailand’s labour changes</a>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-41696152623189244852012-12-13T02:37:00.001-08:002012-12-13T02:40:27.608-08:00NVivo TrainingEarly this week I attended a hands-on training on <a href="http://www.qsrinternational.com/products_nvivo.aspx">NVivo </a>software arranged by the Student Research Office of the university. I had signed up for this a few months back but was informed that I could not join this due to limited slots. That was disappointing. Then last week the office sent out an email to inform me that there will be another training in January. So I confirmed to join. Then last Monday I got a call from one of my supervisors informing me that there were slots available for this week's training. That I should go already as they were starting. So I dropped what I was doing and hurried to the Library. Two other students sent me messages earlier that my supervisor was trying to reach me, and that I should attend the training. And gave me the venue. I hurried to get to the Library. Training Room No. 1 is on the 4th level, so up I went, hurrying, panting, only to find the room empty. So where was the training? I went on to another training room and the group was there.<br />
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There were only about 7 students there, and the trainor. So that means that they were only planning for 9-10? Out of hundred or probably thousands of students needing it? Oh well, so glad to be able to get in despite being late. I just assumed that the student research office informed my supervisor that there were two slots available as the students who signed up did not come. The group was already on page 12 or so of the training manual. I had to squint my eyes to see the screen so I can know which part of the tools the trainor (Ms Elizabeth) was talking about. I also tried to look at my seatmate's computer monitor as well as her manual to see which page it was on. But first I had to log on to my univ account which took some time. The trainor just kept on talking, while giving me the training manual. I had to go to the first page of the manual just to read the instructions on how to go to the programme in the univ network.</div>
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Finally I was able to find it and open the sample file, which the trainor was using to demonstrate to us how to use the programme. I still felt a bit lost, so I had to read the manual pages to know how to get around the working area. </div>
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The two days training of course were not enough but at least I know the programme a bit compared to zero knowledge at the beginning. Now it is up to me to know more about it and to work on my own data esp interview transcripts for the programme to really be useful for my research.</div>
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Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-67399620018238166212012-11-12T04:19:00.001-08:002012-11-12T04:19:31.452-08:00PresentationsSince September I have given 3 oral presentations in various places. It was a relief to finally give the last one last week (the last for this year, that is). You can imagine the time spent on preparing the presentations, and trying to improve them, to fit within the time allotted, to anticipate questions, and to be able to present something that will give the audience an idea of what is going on with my research. The first 2 presentations were on the same topic, but the way they were presented was quite different from each other. Because the audience was different and the time given was also different. The 3rd one was on a totally different topic and it was quite a task because it is based on an on-going work, with the first phase done and the remaining 2 phases still under preparation. Again the audience and format of presentation were much different. So after these 3 I felt quite relieved, as I can continue with the other things I need to do. Although of course all these materials for the presentation are part of the papers and chapters for my dissertation so it is a good exercise to do them, as I get some lead way to analyse the data and information, think about them, find other relevant references, and get comments and opinions from others especially from my supervisors.<br />
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Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-63663753113218829882012-10-05T03:12:00.003-07:002012-10-05T03:14:23.489-07:00back to uniI've been back to my uni for nearly a month now. As a returning student I had to find a new place to stay, which took a lot of my time, really. Finally I was able to find one that is good enough. And for my research work ... I had to wait about 2 days to get a desk in the PhD room. That settled, I had to take out my stuff from 3 different places where I stored them when I left last Dec.<br />
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I have a list of things that I have to do while here for 5 months. In general:<br />
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<li>Implement my PhD publication plan</li>
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<li>Conduct more data analysis</li>
<li>Create outlines for the papers/chapters</li>
<li>Finalise paper drafts for submission to supervisors/journals</li>
<li>Meet with supervisors regularly!</li>
<li>Read more papers!</li>
<li>Present papers and posters</li>
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Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-63916600270606322922012-03-16T08:36:00.001-07:002012-03-16T08:37:54.249-07:00field workI have been here nearly 4 months after I came back from UoS. What have I done in relation to my own research? I have been doing more project management and research related to others rather than mine. Everyday I tell myself I need to set aside a time for my own work. Soon it will be done! Now after recruiting a few more staff members who will handle most of the work I have been doing, I will have more time to devote on my own work.<br />
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What I have done so far is related to the action research on impact assessment of posters. The posters have been distributed and responses on immediate impact have already been obtained. The data are with me and they need to be analysed. The posters need to be distributed to a more diverse audience and posted in public places. This will be the next step I have to do. Then the impact assessment 2-3 months after distribution of poster is coming near. Most of this will be done by phone. I will need to orient the staff who will assist me with this. Of course in situ assessments will also be done, wherein we will observe those who are reading the posters in public places and approach the people to inquire about what they think of the posters.</div>
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The next research I need to be working on in terms of the technical aspect is related to the action research on off-flavour of tilapia. We have gone to discuss with a commercial farm willing to conduct the trials with us. The next step is for me to design the trials along with other activities such as awareness raising about tilapia flavour quality among groups of farmers, and in collaboration with processors and buyers. A colleague Doug Waley who is also a PhD student at UoS and helping out with the action research, will attend the Brussels Seafood Show in April and will also conduct some surveys among the Europeans re: perceptions and needs related to fish quality. </div>
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Then the writing ... for my own publications, then the conference posters, and the chapter in the SEAT book. Among others... </div>
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</div>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-41761218029192947942012-02-09T00:05:00.000-08:002012-02-09T00:05:55.214-08:00now. 2012So another year has come. I am more than a month late in blogging about it here. It's just that I have been deep into project and research work since I returned from UoS. With travels for project meetings and for field research with stakeholders.<br />
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I have been busy working on the research protocols for action research specifically on the impact of posters and the off-flavour of tilapia.<br />
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For the poster impact, the posters had been pre-tested, revised and distributed to relevant stakeholders. Distribution is on-going for the shrimp value chain poster and some initial feedback on immediate impact have been collected during the Shrimp fair in Chanthaburi. This coming weekend we are going down to Surat Thani for a similar activity. Other stakeholders not reached during these events will be contacted face to face or by post to send the posters and obtain feedback.<br />
<br />
As for the tilapia value chain poster, I am still planning the schedule to coincide with the team's field work so I can join them.<br />
<br />
For the off-flavour tilapia, I and the team have visited one of the main sites for the field trials, i.e. Namsai Farm in Prachinburi. I have to come up with the research design in discussion with action research manager based at KU (Doug Waley) and also with the rest of the team and UoS supervisors.<br />
<br />
Of course, in addition to all these, I have also been involved with the running of the project itself. We are recruiting more staff to assist us specifically in field surveys for livelihood and chemical use in farms, LCA through the value chains, ethical framework workshop, and other relevant field work.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx94yO8bbqwJ46ycEep4IVOjJIw7NOXjnK6Y97DkD2QpwPXTi6q34l5mCSdPNslQFmjyxXuVawNBC-SWszZrW10ltAMmb0Amzwnc5Dm-3nh6hXQBKP9V7BTIoGPFlodxSLF9JWOfBGsMc/s1600/P1280048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx94yO8bbqwJ46ycEep4IVOjJIw7NOXjnK6Y97DkD2QpwPXTi6q34l5mCSdPNslQFmjyxXuVawNBC-SWszZrW10ltAMmb0Amzwnc5Dm-3nh6hXQBKP9V7BTIoGPFlodxSLF9JWOfBGsMc/s320/P1280048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp feed of various sizes</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TIRMomdasPMpsygObG496FfJrKpsY_LxEILlpZ3YNCATOSGM7YPECn3Styp5zjH6958kO9ry-mI7lseVHXWBz9gT8y4s8cda6kqaSAFg2gt22M7rhEfBuWPDIrdXuziWrf1Ik0X79_I/s1600/P1270168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TIRMomdasPMpsygObG496FfJrKpsY_LxEILlpZ3YNCATOSGM7YPECn3Styp5zjH6958kO9ry-mI7lseVHXWBz9gT8y4s8cda6kqaSAFg2gt22M7rhEfBuWPDIrdXuziWrf1Ik0X79_I/s320/P1270168.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grill your own shrimp at the fair</td></tr>
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<br />Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-41892263276264233052011-12-16T00:50:00.000-08:002011-12-16T00:54:07.098-08:00i am back ...<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I arrived back from the UK last Sunday. It was a hectic week there before I left, as there were so many things to do, both on the academic side as well as personal aspects. My data analysis seemed to be ok according to my supervisor, esp the stats and we discussed how they can be better presented in a paper. As well, there were other things to wrap up with the team related to the project for eg the submitted reports, posters, database, papers 1 & 2 drafts. On the personal side, I had <strike>some</strike> lots of packing to do. And some shopping, even to the last day as I had no time during the other days. I had to schedule my packing as a friend was coming to visit me on my last day there. So I told myself everything should be clear before she came! And I was able to accomplish it. Packing my stuff both in the office and in the flat was tiring and made me sweat, which was also ok considering that the weather was so cold, and getting colder. In fact there was a storm (strong winds and rain) as well as snow during the last few days!</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKzoT18CTCyhE8GH7nQNge1ZgHzZw8dTkGPvtsHZjgZX2Tq5Z1ewNjUhq6ShsFfv8szO53mTrCm-bWX4Sn3w3rs8408jVdgmASuzg6pFS9ORrIpVmtUOP8crXHvl0_qvbx-OWSzOnpu8/s1600/PB280001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKzoT18CTCyhE8GH7nQNge1ZgHzZw8dTkGPvtsHZjgZX2Tq5Z1ewNjUhq6ShsFfv8szO53mTrCm-bWX4Sn3w3rs8408jVdgmASuzg6pFS9ORrIpVmtUOP8crXHvl0_qvbx-OWSzOnpu8/s400/PB280001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burning the midnight oil ... </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8XS9FackZrPlHQ5eswucqbEm_jjEm_93T2DvFwr7B0jEcQ3rKss1T0s43BjebdmPLDAFl4Tk7osZS3GkNJABz2vT83p26l1ag1CUzGDCTiuUQWMkdHz_2-5bA2ymw4TqDc5H-dECAzA/s1600/PC090002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8XS9FackZrPlHQ5eswucqbEm_jjEm_93T2DvFwr7B0jEcQ3rKss1T0s43BjebdmPLDAFl4Tk7osZS3GkNJABz2vT83p26l1ag1CUzGDCTiuUQWMkdHz_2-5bA2ymw4TqDc5H-dECAzA/s400/PC090002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to leave some stuff with the uni.<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">During my stay there, from August to early December, I was able to complete the following: <span style="line-height: 115%;">scoping and state of the system workshop reports, first paper draft on “</span><i style="line-height: 115%;">A systems overview of four commercially important farmed seafood
species with an export focus in Thailand</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">” to be submitted to Reviews in
Aquaculture Journal, information posters on “</span><i style="line-height: 115%;">Sustaining the Shrimp and
Tilapia Value Chains in Thailand</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">”, analysis of data from scoping,
integrated survey and SOS workshop related to sustainability issues, and, second
paper draft with a working title of “</span><i style="line-height: 115%;">Shrimp and tilapia value chain actors
in Thailand: their perceptions on sustainability</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">”. During this period I was
also able to discuss with the rest of the SEAT project team in Stirling
regarding the action research (WP9) deliverable protocols for Thailand, and
specifically for my own PhD field research on sustainability factors identified
from our field research. In addition, I continued to provide management and
technical inputs to the Thai team for work related to other WPs. Now I am back
in Thailand, with several work responsibilities both in project management and
in the planning and implementation of action research work related to my PhD,
such as: the impact of posters on various stakeholders, the causes and
detection of, and means to reduce or eliminate off-flavour in tilapia, and developing
approaches in integrating gender aspects in aquaculture research. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gpcuUoJqpTyRRd50pjRvnWMuagZNN5wAjykqLVdKvnB1VCT0rNCyaoQVWWJWMkSTnSQZahhTcjQx4ZujOTDnLrNYWk-S6G3Mutqazdxe75P2AylhA3gXUXOxLaGS6TR-MwDLA2I2yvk/s1600/PC050056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gpcuUoJqpTyRRd50pjRvnWMuagZNN5wAjykqLVdKvnB1VCT0rNCyaoQVWWJWMkSTnSQZahhTcjQx4ZujOTDnLrNYWk-S6G3Mutqazdxe75P2AylhA3gXUXOxLaGS6TR-MwDLA2I2yvk/s400/PC050056.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">It's surely good to be back, with the warm and sunny weather (no more layers of clothing and jackets), and delicious Thai food, among other reasons!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-10808389304617250052011-12-01T14:38:00.001-08:002011-12-01T15:03:17.366-08:00things to dowhat i need to do tonight, as tomorrow will be friday already!<br />
<br />
1. work on the comments on the scoping report, including data formatting<br />
2. data analysis re: statistical analysis of generational and sustainability perceptions data<br />
3. complete the list of potential contacts for EU innovation newsletter for WL<br />
4. draft a research protocol for action research on poster effectiveness for WP9<br />
5. write more content based on data analysis and some discussion on draft of paper2<br />
<br />
but my mind is now on preparing for my packing as i will be leaving next saturday!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bXRmB78fKcl2x8wbspuNq4pnI8VWTgrdQSSNgredj0GDFaYX6bx49zOfTdIqsLzq1N_VSAyFEVhMBHR8NZuGsOuhD98GQo6gwcjj3OfIhNlKz8zm9u4jon0Y_KnVAlSb54iZBEdq6C0/s1600/PA310001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bXRmB78fKcl2x8wbspuNq4pnI8VWTgrdQSSNgredj0GDFaYX6bx49zOfTdIqsLzq1N_VSAyFEVhMBHR8NZuGsOuhD98GQo6gwcjj3OfIhNlKz8zm9u4jon0Y_KnVAlSb54iZBEdq6C0/s400/PA310001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">messy work table at the flat!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitO3avVxMyCJdScdiWExzkIwJIgy5RTvk6lfoezQmN9ZM5cy-pxlg1hRvFbUbBsu-K8gZsJnfI8lR8Z5dnggJexyYYkzO7I_Qr4K34cTO-uPmihIuW1xiDX-DvJHOK-k5B8eaQ927dEjQ/s1600/tilapia-large-SF-ranks-adjusted.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitO3avVxMyCJdScdiWExzkIwJIgy5RTvk6lfoezQmN9ZM5cy-pxlg1hRvFbUbBsu-K8gZsJnfI8lR8Z5dnggJexyYYkzO7I_Qr4K34cTO-uPmihIuW1xiDX-DvJHOK-k5B8eaQ927dEjQ/s400/tilapia-large-SF-ranks-adjusted.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">have been doing lots of these!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5tHPBUGBtwzWT0SnN5Z-pO4p_Vodz26AFkRVccpGjIz13F68agFk4kgZRe1_3sGwiVqDCmSBLOqwLN5h5NLbtyD-ezO_M_Oh9dvdz0hwsBARpA-X1X2MwDfcgpDvlhKlaOqcCLgbTgU/s1600/mixed-sos3-group-ok.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5tHPBUGBtwzWT0SnN5Z-pO4p_Vodz26AFkRVccpGjIz13F68agFk4kgZRe1_3sGwiVqDCmSBLOqwLN5h5NLbtyD-ezO_M_Oh9dvdz0hwsBARpA-X1X2MwDfcgpDvlhKlaOqcCLgbTgU/s400/mixed-sos3-group-ok.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... and this...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8s7u8fpyecLH97ZuVYsiN665oOC_olXGL0yod0VXVwZAN9K8F4zBu9IvWEdl8t_Rq-sRqXifOQjRW35I7aVE5n1tV_c6Ux9mZpLV7SqFeGtEv64jktjD4ugxmUS3pW7ArRfmdCrolNQ/s1600/friedmans-1dec11.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8s7u8fpyecLH97ZuVYsiN665oOC_olXGL0yod0VXVwZAN9K8F4zBu9IvWEdl8t_Rq-sRqXifOQjRW35I7aVE5n1tV_c6Ux9mZpLV7SqFeGtEv64jktjD4ugxmUS3pW7ArRfmdCrolNQ/s400/friedmans-1dec11.PNG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-85071114288153637922011-11-11T03:56:00.001-08:002011-11-11T03:59:34.016-08:00one more month ...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 10px;">a month more to be here ... now i am mentally organizing my activities as the count down starts. one of these days i really have to sit down and put the planning on paper as time will really be tight. another writing workshop coming up end of this month, and assessment of what i have achieved during my stay here - there are at least 6 expected outputs during the 4 months of stay. (status message, FB, 8 nov 2011)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 10px;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4cQBNadFNDXdbiWGrJnWn64qK5Pow5xAY4d4ieAwGN8zXGXpJgXZ1p8bUTef4GTshw_2TvYKOcrtoFKaDkGn8cmCsaPXjdcqSNrg6oS3q89Nyfy-wkAAvFgMlObQMceirMap_PJMApU/s1600/PA070010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4cQBNadFNDXdbiWGrJnWn64qK5Pow5xAY4d4ieAwGN8zXGXpJgXZ1p8bUTef4GTshw_2TvYKOcrtoFKaDkGn8cmCsaPXjdcqSNrg6oS3q89Nyfy-wkAAvFgMlObQMceirMap_PJMApU/s320/PA070010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 10px;"><br /></span>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-1912380819166898872011-11-11T03:49:00.001-08:002011-11-11T14:32:45.750-08:00Writing Workshop 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Last 31 October to 3 November, we again spent isolated days in Thornhill for the 2nd writing workshop, for our paper 2. It was a bit different from the first one in terms of activities. We did not only read and write but also had sessions on database management and analysis. So during the four days, nearly 50% was spent on data analysis. On the first day our team had a meeting on the structure and contents of paper 2. This meeting was a continuation of previous meetings at the uni on this topic. We finally agreed on what research questions and framework we should follow in writing up the 2nd paper. We also had individual meetings and consultations regarding data analysis esp on the access database from integrated surveys and SOS workshops. It was tough for me coz I have just arrived on 30 Oct from a long trip across the Atlantic. So I was sleepy and sleepy ... I had to drink lots of coffee which I did not like at all. Our upstairs room was a tropical zone and the warmth and quiet were so conducive for sleeping! Somebody did make use of the sofa at the end of the room. I tried sitting there as well with a paper to read, and I dozed off a bit, the 7-minute power nap! It was quite effective.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOR3dBA9T2zZS3EpBljGsm4dFUo8jZopm9iZQKzcZhKy-gl5ZW0ocqYT4NZnvOL6RQRVzm4dGpKjKmDmL3vRABaUEEU-RPSAbXEZCFBS4Zk4M7TZ4FXSL_B22tcngOHkGTAPmyPinK3tQ/s1600/PB020017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOR3dBA9T2zZS3EpBljGsm4dFUo8jZopm9iZQKzcZhKy-gl5ZW0ocqYT4NZnvOL6RQRVzm4dGpKjKmDmL3vRABaUEEU-RPSAbXEZCFBS4Zk4M7TZ4FXSL_B22tcngOHkGTAPmyPinK3tQ/s400/PB020017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting up our work stations</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGs9gHWQmQ0r-U08ANT51-qaO_LlN2HIEXjZ4AvdmeCZ2E1L7P1rCK3rRBqg9rOlsaJSJcvFraz6YelAEjjJsZxzkNUje0_oHyuo34HQjhb7Vlf8tIoAKxFtsS_duF8m7fsLf9Nr0hbpk/s1600/wws2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGs9gHWQmQ0r-U08ANT51-qaO_LlN2HIEXjZ4AvdmeCZ2E1L7P1rCK3rRBqg9rOlsaJSJcvFraz6YelAEjjJsZxzkNUje0_oHyuo34HQjhb7Vlf8tIoAKxFtsS_duF8m7fsLf9Nr0hbpk/s400/wws2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In action ... except the pet on the stairs...<br />
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</tbody></table>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-4590793985230871962011-09-17T13:09:00.000-07:002011-09-22T06:19:05.182-07:00Writing Workshop 1During 6-9 September our supervisors organised a writing workshop for our team. The venue was in one of the farms in Thornhill, Stirling called <a href="http://www.westmossside.com/">West Moss-Side</a>. It is about a half-hour drive from the university, and a very good place for writing as it is remote and so the atmosphere is really conducive for writing. There were no distractions such as the internet and noise from others. There was a designated room just for talking/discussion. We consulted with our supervisors individually to discuss about our papers.<br />
<br />
We had a certain routine while there. We would start at 9am, then break for coffee/tea at 11am, lunch at 1pm, coffee/tea at 3pm, then at 5pm we wrap-up. I think we have been quite productive and hope we can follow the same routine even at the uni.<br />
<br />
There will be two more writing workshops during our stay here and I hope that we can have quality output for our papers before we go back to our respective research sites.<br />
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A view from the loft where we were working (conference room).</div>
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Each of us had a desk to work on ... no talking, please.</div>
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My desk ... </div>
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The view from where I was sitting ... during the first day it rained heavily.</div>
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Working ...</div>
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A nap on the nice sofa was also good ...</div>
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Various art pieces are on display in many parts of the house.</div>
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The yurts (tents) are for overnight guests ...</div>
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The farm grows cattle for meat. Organic only.</div>
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The farm house converted into a gallery and meeting venue.</div>
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<br />Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-22049589808702730582011-08-26T08:28:00.000-07:002011-08-26T12:22:41.549-07:00August in StirlingIt was a hectic time getting prepared to return to U of Stirling for the period August to December 2011. I have documented some of my activities earlier in my other blogs, and even in my FB status messages. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUYeYwkuDLHMS8-G_bvu6OYOiFAGLYi-ILgXY6r8xTsMXI9JSkoDLhqFhj-pTajEAVzvt8KU9oC6q9FNAR24wsEpwtQYhQjRlwNImhrT9pBo8xo3c9FS0PalDhzmN7CmNpFeb629wnUc/s1600/P8130050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUYeYwkuDLHMS8-G_bvu6OYOiFAGLYi-ILgXY6r8xTsMXI9JSkoDLhqFhj-pTajEAVzvt8KU9oC6q9FNAR24wsEpwtQYhQjRlwNImhrT9pBo8xo3c9FS0PalDhzmN7CmNpFeb629wnUc/s320/P8130050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4INbBT3Gz-14v0P2lSI7VE88I1Fiv23QT6wFYU-tckSJsBHJ4M7KSOdpZOqEAMIhb1V3lr-QQvGrLyx2Vd3u48u2Z9IRyEnl6zpySrIeLYac0_leyQfgMpDSyuPs1iRRdQBt98v8U5s/s1600/P8130056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I arrived here in the afternoon of 8th August. What remained of the afternoon was spent settling down in my rented room, which is one of 4 rooms in a flat managed by the university. That included setting up my internet connection in my room, grocery shopping, buying a pay-as-you-go sim card with internet, and obtaining bus schedules. The following day, Tuesday, was scheduled for a meeting with my supervisor, as well as with two other PhD students in the same project, who are from China and Vietnam. That meeting went ok, we agreed to have a weekly 1-hour progress meeting every Monday. There were some soft and hard targets set as well.<br />
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The main purpose to be here for four months is to finalise my first two papers which are outputs of the first two years of research. These papers should be in a format which could be submitted to a journal. So with all the field data collected during scoping and integrated surveys, as well as the nth drafts of my first and second papers, I have to condition myself to be a research student again, a learner in a university setting. The more than 1 year in the field out there in Thailand doing both field research and project management has somehow eclipsed my being a student. Of course, we keep learning, wherever we are.<br />
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In addition, the housework, the marketing, the cooking. Important about the meals. Keep planning for a variety of meals so food does not get boring. And that takes a lot of time. I've never cooked this much back home. This is part of student life here. The supermarket is one of the main features of student life in this university town. The other is the bus. Another is adjusting to the weather. I will talk about these later.<br />
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Now it is Friday, the end of the working week for most, but for us students I guess there are really no weekends. Just keep working, reading, writing. But don't forget the laundry...<br />
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Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-75702503321320472692011-07-31T06:26:00.000-07:002011-07-31T06:29:45.374-07:00end of July<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">31st July, last day of the month. Tomorrow starts a new month. And the countdown seriously begins for me as I have to leave on the 7th. There are still lots to do but I can only do as much. That is the pitfall with working on your degree while also running a project, i.e. working and studying. So since a few weeks ago already our team had been working on the planning of work in the next few months when I am not here. Delegate, delegate ... provided one has good staff. Which I think we have. A few people but they can do the job. With the right motivation, good direction, clear instruction, and enough resources. <br />
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I have so far completed nearly all the work I was doing except for the SOS posters. Still working on the English version, which I plan to finish this coming week. And the Thai version will come later. <br />
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The field work has already been assigned and delegated so that gives me peace of mind. But of course I could not really be totally cut from all the action. I will still be in touch with the team, that's just part project management. <br />
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So now I have started packing, trying to fit in all the stuff I have to bring. This is a dilemma as I am going to UK which has a totally different climate as here, different food and lifestyle. So whatever I bring has to support that difference. So hope that I can finish my packing by Sat so I do not have to rush and do last minute packing before I leave on Sun night. <br />
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I have my books to pack as well, and now I am thinking where can I put them them.<br />
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Will surely miss it here!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8OARx3G5AMWsZuBaZPKPQSFuBHnKcutgedzfhF1-l7xsGI20EKSTkeJ1NKT7n0KldhPYIghexIp0gcllVN4PEyTh7r1jx-x_2OL_Se9zgREsi9JZfpyYtYPn0mGaPpdHdaMt5ifP4L0/s1600/P7270060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8OARx3G5AMWsZuBaZPKPQSFuBHnKcutgedzfhF1-l7xsGI20EKSTkeJ1NKT7n0KldhPYIghexIp0gcllVN4PEyTh7r1jx-x_2OL_Se9zgREsi9JZfpyYtYPn0mGaPpdHdaMt5ifP4L0/s320/P7270060.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team meeting to discuss work to be done in the coming months. I took this photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-78893598226705465752011-07-05T09:07:00.000-07:002011-07-05T09:07:58.752-07:00signs of the times<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Busy times the past months, weeks and days ... thus blogging here has been irregular. I also maintain other blogs so my time is divided.<br />
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So now it is July 2011. Many things have been happening ... project-wise. Aside from my research work in the project, I have been busy putting together documents for visa application to the UK. I will be at my university there from Aug till Dec for consultation with my supervisors, data analysis, and writing up. And I am leaving in August, nearly a month from now. And there are still so many things to do.<br />
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In May we had a workshop with stakeholders, and I am still in the process of preparing the report, working on the comments of the first drat. Unfortunately, the worst thing happened. My notebook computer crashed. I lost a weekend's worth of work, as I was not able to save my file the night before. I was sooooo sleepy. The following day, my computer would not open. So until now it is a useless piece of machine. I hope I can go to the shop tomorrow to have it solved.<br />
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</div>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-8009164306711274262011-05-09T21:58:00.000-07:002011-05-10T13:38:50.010-07:00AFAF conference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS1jR3uACY_tOhjSx4MVaBrhUcHHl1WaMqJEb41QdovkHkqf14DKYLvuGGKNF8cuiEEhOFGcQ6EwGprE1PqLq9mRMmMYwSapdK71q52qca6G38qTNk8CiPZXxVYnHNADiYinQ_svf22I/s1600/P4220173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS1jR3uACY_tOhjSx4MVaBrhUcHHl1WaMqJEb41QdovkHkqf14DKYLvuGGKNF8cuiEEhOFGcQ6EwGprE1PqLq9mRMmMYwSapdK71q52qca6G38qTNk8CiPZXxVYnHNADiYinQ_svf22I/s320/P4220173.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Key & I were in China for the Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum held at the <a href="http://eng.shou.edu.cn/">Shanghai Ocean University</a> (new campus) during 20-24 April 2011. I presented our paper related to sustainability indicators which is part of my PhD research. I was not well during that time due to colds and allergy which manifested themselves as coughing bouts. My voice also changed. It started with exposure to cold weather and smoke and dust. I was praying that during my 20 minute presentation my voice will hold and the itchiness in my throat will not attack me while standing in front of an audience. My prayer was answered but it was mighty difficult coz my throat was strained as I talked for the whole period. It was difficult altogether during that week because there were a number of friends who also came whom I have not met for quite some time, for many years in fact. So it would have been nice to chitchat more with them. Besides the weather in Shanghai was too cold for me. So I think I remember that most of the time I was shivering and trying to protect myself from feeling cold. Even with a jacket and all gear I still felt cold because I came from a place which was sweltering hot (near 40s) and then in Shanghai the temperature was less than 20, plus the wind chill factor.<br />
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Before I left for the conference I bought a small laser pointer which cost 20 baht only, from one of the side stalls in a department store in Bangkok. Cheaper than buying it retail in China (50 baht +). It was useful for me while presenting. I just hope I did not make people dizzy by always flashing the red laser light and moving it around the screen :) Maybe it kept them awake as the presentation was in the afternoon!<br />
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As a member of the <a href="http://asianfisheriessociety.org/">Asian Fisheries Society</a>, I also attended the AFS General Assembly. It was held in the evening after all the sessions were done for that day. Before the meeting started, everybody had a moment of silence to remember Prof Yang Yi who was the former AFS President as well as one of the active fisheries professionals in the region. He passed away in 2009 and it was a great loss to the fisheries academic/scientific community. After that the Society officers presented their reports on activities as well as finances. Then we had to vote for new councilors to replace those whose terms are finished. There were some cocktails and snacks after but it was a pity coz the time was not coordinated well with the shuttle buses so we had to hurry to leave the meeting venue to catch our shuttle bus back to the hotel. It would have been great to mingle and get to know the other members more, for renewing old contacts, making new ones and networking.<br />
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There were just so many main and side events and sessions during the conference. Time was a constraint, added to that are side meetings with our own project team. Some other sessions I attended were the tilapia symposium, gender in fisheries and aquaculture symposium, and the ASEM-SEAT joint meeting.<br />
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After the Shanghai meeting, the project team proceeded to Zhanjiang to attend the State of the System Workshop organised by SEAT-SOU China and the Univ of Stirling.<br />
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</div>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-45188950763109084642011-02-18T02:50:00.000-08:002011-02-19T03:44:54.608-08:00SEAT-KU project website<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Just did the website (Eng/Thai) for the project this afternoon. Check it out at<a href="http://seatku9.wordpress.com/"> http://seatku9.blogspot.com</a>.<br />
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</div>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-36405583077711135552011-02-15T07:55:00.000-08:002011-02-18T06:00:54.409-08:00Status so far<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The field surveys are still on-going in Thailand. We are now on the 2nd to the last week and we will finish by the end of February. Simultaneous data entry is being done from filled-in questionnaires, and is a tedious process. No one is full time in doing it but come March it should really be done full-time. Of course by the local team who will be back from the field. However not all will be involved with database entry as some will be working on metadata of contacts, while others will be doing field work with others. The methodology of this research as a whole is proving to be a bit on the difficult side, for various reasons. Especially dealing not only with the technical and pedagogical aspects but also with personalities and differences in ways of doing things from various perspectives. These are issues which we have to face due to the nature of this project - interdisciplinary, multi-cultural, multi-level, and all other multi's one can think of. In the meantime, work has to be done, no matter what. I was hoping that somehow things could ease up once the field surveys are done, but there will be no chance of that. At this time, I have already started to plan ahead for the next activities. However based on experience, sometimes even the best laid plans fail. Especially if work has to be coordinated and integrated with other activities and with other people who have their own limitations, preoccupations, priorities and VIs (---censored text---). So that is project management. The key is how to keep one's head above it all, to survive being trampled upon (di gid magpalupu), to still be sane at the end of the day, and to still appreciate each day as it comes.<br />
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</div>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-52215208852606315052011-02-09T07:25:00.000-08:002011-02-09T07:25:15.931-08:00Stressed!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhRtFTsZngKbm8NJfbDSgHxsdPbiXDDWu-LwBmAQeZxAWHVjFBrfNemS6arRvmAZcDFjjVx9dnETFwOAlJ1RBprlRtPQuDUJnVExWttj4qKyigRu33wobR5j__3jqjySi_H6SiV4otj8/s1600/P2090017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhRtFTsZngKbm8NJfbDSgHxsdPbiXDDWu-LwBmAQeZxAWHVjFBrfNemS6arRvmAZcDFjjVx9dnETFwOAlJ1RBprlRtPQuDUJnVExWttj4qKyigRu33wobR5j__3jqjySi_H6SiV4otj8/s320/P2090017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-48663151204629424862011-01-24T22:53:00.000-08:002011-01-24T22:58:04.208-08:00Since the last KII post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So between then and now we have had a few more KIIs to verify sample frame lists and revise them accordingly. The detailed sample designs for shrimp and tilapia have been uploaded to the KU-SEAT wiki page. The designs were revised based on the results of the KIIs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3o7sKSuQ9tpY3AGkJZCYm7JczDTIF9L68hvLYpxbv-ebMLNizIdJX8apvwtX6hKEgDUjwZkvLOalNJeUp4-yR84CYgXc7oiZ9fd7gYd4n-1TncorpkKi-JtIlZV6lZPEAJGXW3MH-fg/s1600/PC030163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3o7sKSuQ9tpY3AGkJZCYm7JczDTIF9L68hvLYpxbv-ebMLNizIdJX8apvwtX6hKEgDUjwZkvLOalNJeUp4-yR84CYgXc7oiZ9fd7gYd4n-1TncorpkKi-JtIlZV6lZPEAJGXW3MH-fg/s320/PC030163.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And finally we were ready to start the baseline surveys in mid Dec 2010. We were 1 1/2 months behind schedule. There were so many reasons behind this but the main one was that the survey instruments were not ready way back in November. The process was such that it became a never-ending activity of commenting and revising and especially harmonising an instrument among 4 country sites as well as various work packages and interests and disciplines. But this is part of a process which had to be undergone in order to come up with an output wherein we could all say that all efforts had been done to make it as intersdisciplinary as possible, with just enough depth and breadth for a baseline survey. People had to be reminded time and again that there will be a more detailed survey following this one.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzG2s4BUqHXyQ8b7RVvyzQukEgM4rNNyKj0jfvElFT-uGKJpwVyB9PIlN6Dgf6pb5mcd3uJKHb1KV14QoYleMFEK-fTqw48-0MFLrSSRmKZNKBySu5aXdTFUHIxRWkE10dz9xfNbkGVo/s1600/PC280166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzG2s4BUqHXyQ8b7RVvyzQukEgM4rNNyKj0jfvElFT-uGKJpwVyB9PIlN6Dgf6pb5mcd3uJKHb1KV14QoYleMFEK-fTqw48-0MFLrSSRmKZNKBySu5aXdTFUHIxRWkE10dz9xfNbkGVo/s320/PC280166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The team finished 2 provinces (5 clusters) for shrimp and 1 province (3 clusters) for tilapia before the year 2010 ended. When 2011 came, it was on to the remaining clusters (3 for shrimp in 1 province and 7 for tilapia in 2 provinces). We hope to finish the baseline survey by the end of February. We have to go back to the other previously surveyed provinces to complete the number of respondents as per sample design. The respondents were randomly chosen but some of them were not available to meet us when we called earlier. So there is a need to make a return visit and if they were indeed not available at all, we have to move down the randomised list to complete the numbers. The target is to interview 200 each for shrimp and tilapia producers.<br />
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As of 23 January 2011 we have already interviewed about 148 shrimp and 62 tilapia producers.<br />
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In the meantime that data is being gathered in the field, the Access database is being refined and after the first week of January we had the top copy of the country-specific database. So we started to input the data from the first batch of questionnaires. We were able to input 63 entries so far and at least 3 of us in the team are now familiar with it. However, as usual, changes have to be incorporated as the database needs to be harmonised among 4 country sites. So then the formatting and all others need to be revised and updated. So what do we do with the Thai database with the already 63 entries?<br />
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Right now I am in Fort Kochi with the other project counterparts from China (Wenbo),Vietnam (Lam) and Bangladesh (Ripon), and led by the Project Coordinator (Francis) from Stirling. We are having our PhD Research Retreat, with at least 4 outputs. So we are working on this database and any revisions to be made on the Thai one I have to do so that everything is in place before additional entries will be made. I just hope it's not too much revisions and work. It should be in place now before we continue with all the other remaining entries. I think that there should not be any more changes and additions after this week. Any changes each country wants to make should be added as country-specific codes or put in the comments section.<br />
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The other day each one presented the status of survey work in each country. Thailand is the slowest due to the delays and many other reasons. We hope to speed up the work but we are also dependent on potential respondents' availability mainly. But we will try. I think we have a good team, and we hope to get more local staff to double the time (if we can get them).<br />
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The reformatted database has just been given to me by Francis and now I must look at each table and check them and do the needed adjustments.</div>Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166061531954881108.post-28656750223379092432010-12-06T09:59:00.000-08:002010-12-06T10:03:21.552-08:00After the first KIAfter the KIIs in Chachoengsao, we thought that we could already start the surveys over there by 1 Dec. However we could not get confirmations with farmers and the questionnaires and notes had to be checked again with the just received final draft, i.e. with the last item allowed to be changed/added. As these documents need to be in Thai so they can be used in the field, it was necessary to really check them that what is meant in English is captured when translated into Thai. There are many things to be considered when trying to do this, and our team had gone through a process of translating it into Thai, then translating what was translated back into English, asking what they meant, how the RAs would ask the question, how the farmers would perceive them, what terms would a lay person use so questions could be easily understood, even going to search for popular terms being used by farmers and the media today.<br />
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Thus we had to follow all the time whenever there are changes in the English draft. The corresponding translation into Thai have to be done. We also showed these drafts to the social science, gender and economics experts in our team so they could also contribute and help out especially with the translation and the use of better terminologies.<br />
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So I think until last week there were still trickles of changes and additions to the questionnaire and the corresponding notes. So this week we are ready to print them out. We might need to add more sets to the picture cards if more teams will be formed. We are running out of time but what can we do? With all the delays, the earliest start of the survey is 11 Dec. That's almost 1 1/2 months late from the original target start date of 1 Nov. Having more people in the team may or may not help, because it all depends on farmer availability. We have the randomised list of respondents and we could not just interview anyone we meet along the way who has a farm. We are following the statistically derived list to maintain randomness and avoid biases. Although the other way could have made our lives easier. But we are researchers and our work should be robust statistically and based on the agreed methodology of the project.<br />
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As key informant interviews are an important part of the research process we are also spending considerable time on them. Next up will be the KI visits to Chantaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Suphanburi and Petchburi. We had done preliminary contacts with them by phone. For Surat Thani, due to distance and time constraint, we have conducted the KIIs by phone and email.Carnationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916060150549276307noreply@blogger.com0