Youth

'Now I'm just chasing time, 

With a thousand dreams I'm holding heavy,

And as we cross the lines these fading beats have all been severed,

Don't tell me our youth is running out, 

It's only just begun' 

-Foxes-

The end of my honours year at Monash is coming to an end. But I'm pretty sure I'm not fully ready to let go my university experiences just yet. 

Revelation of Food Science and Technology

When I tell people that I'm doing a degree in food science and technology (FST), most people will ask me the following two questions: 

1. Oh wow, so what kind of food do you learn and know how to cook?

2. Oh, so you're going to be a nutritionist who design and plan menu for others, and advice people on what sort of food is healthy and not?

The answer to both of the questions above is NO. Although, it is NOT strictly a no. As food scientists and/or food technologists,we do learn how to do basic cooking processes in the food science lab and kitchen. We also do take one unit in human nutrition. But ultimately, those are just part of the degree in FST. 

Food science deals with the science of food, from the chemical, physical, biochemical and microbiological aspects of food. It involves the integration of biological, physical sciences and engineering to study the nature of foods, cause of their deterioration and principles involved in food processing. Food technology involves the application of food science in food preservation, processing, packaging, distribution, and the selection and use of safe, nutritious and wholesome food products.To clarify my point, FST is NOT a culinary art program. We're not studying to be chefs. 

In FST, we study the physical, chemical and microbiological nature of food products, the technologies involved in processing and preserving raw foods from farm into safe, wholesome and nutritious processed foods for consumers in the market shelves. 

So food scientists/technologists may work in various fields such as food product development, food manufacturing, food research and development, quality assurance, quality control, engineering, and packaging departments in food industries, as well as food sales and marketing. However,we are NOT qualified nutritionists. What we learn in human nutrition is just the basic nutritional sciences. There's a degree for Nutrition and Dietetics by itself. 

I hope this clarifies the confusion as to what a Food Science and Technology degree offers. 

Languages

Hello blogspot! I've decided to write something on this site instead of my normal xanga site for a change. For this first post, I'd like to share my thoughts on a commercial aired on national television. I couldn't find the commercial on youtube, so unless you've caught it on tele, you just need to rely on my summarized version, in words instead.

The commercial begins in a meeting room of an office. The meeting chairperson spoked to one of his colleagues, in English, asking about some updates on a current project. This colleague then kindly replied the chairperson, but in Malay. The chairperson, somewhat confused, then asked another colleague on updates of another matter, also in English. The same thing happened, in which the colleague replied him, using Malay. Once again, the chairperson was confused. He then proceeded to ask another colleague, beginning his sentence in English. However, he then stops halfway, and apologized, before rephrasing his question to his colleague in Malay instead. The colleague then smiles at him and replied his question in Malay. Everyone in the meeting room then smiled at the chairperson, because he finally understood what was going on. Then the commercial ended with a message which said, 1 BANGSA (1 NATION), 1 BAHASA (1 LANGUAGE). After watching this commercial, as a Malaysian, I felt appalled and ashamed,with the message of the commercial which was presented in an inappropriate method. This commercial basically wishes to call the nation to use the Malay language, which is the national language to unite the nation of various races. It isn't wrong to promote the use of the national language. However, how can it be at the expense of another language? The commercial then further emphasizes that we are 1 Nation and we should use 1 Language. How does this reflect upon the cultural diversity of the various languages spoken by our multi-cultural and multi-ethnic nation? Isn't this what Malaysia strive to promote to the world, that although we have various races living in one nation, we appreciate the diversity? As a Malaysian, I am proud of my ability to converse in more than one language, and to use them freely for communication purposes. There are better ways to convey and promote the use of the national language, without giving an impression that other languages are inferior to the former.

This commercial also contradicts the Ministry of Education's policy " To Uphold Bahasa Malaysia, AND To Strengthen English". After watching the commercial, what I understood is that we as Malaysians, should speak Bahasa Malaysia, and not use English. How can the message contradict the policy which the MoE so actively strive to promote to replace the existing Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English policy? It seems to me, that the ministry does not understand the simple boolean operator "AND".