Undergraduate days at NUS Engineering Faculty

 

                                 At the Engineering Faculty Canteen Year 1 NUS. 

                                                 Yours Truly and Loh Shien Lee 

The time has flown by. Truly, flown by. 43 years since we were young undergraduates full of spunk and derring do sitting at the Engineering Canteen at the bottom of the bock, (43 I believe).

The 1st year course was unrelenting to say the least. 9 subjects and we had to clear them all at one go. No second chances. By my recall there was 800 first year undergraduates, and only 600 made it to the second year. 25% knock out rate.

The attrition and cut off for promotion to the second year was BRUTAL. 

          From Left, Andrew Lee, Yours Truly, Loh Shien Lee, Long Han Wee and Sydney Lim 

I recall I was rather handicapped, as I did only 1 maths subject at Pre U level, hence the University math, taught by a Dr Gupta was way over my head, and I was floundering.

I was very lucky that I managed to grasp some semblance of the subject and managed to pull out a weak pass (an 'E') without having to go and do a 're' exam which many of my cohort were wont to do.

There were some really good professors (like a Prof Mendis) and some who were borderline weird (a certain Assoc. Prof Leong) 

All in all the first year of engineering for me, after 2 and a half years in the military was like moving to Heaven when the last few years were some sort of Hell. (I jest of course !).

Fortunately I managed to meet some school friends like Andrew Lee and Sydney Lim from St Andrews and we then had to march through 4 tough years of undergraduate study.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy HBOT Chamber - Effective therapy for post exercise recovery - for home use.

This is the 2 person HBOT premium chamber which QRA can provide to home owners who want a bit of luxury in their lives. The price range starts from USD 50,000 (S$ 65,000) for full sleek designed system, with low noise (45 dB) and 220 V single phase, 50 or 60 Hz operation.

Superior chamber 2 person HBOT chamber price : USD 40,000 (S$ 52, 000)

including shipment and installation 

Delivery time : 6 - 8 weeks upon payment. 

Key data 

Pressure inside cabin : 1.5 ATA (or 1.5 bar gauge)

Flow Rate : 10 L / min

O2 inside chamber : 25% or less

O2 provided to nasal canula or mask : 93% +/- 3 %

Interior Volume : 6.33 m3

Total Gross Weight : 3050 kg

Total Power : 2350 W

Cabin Material : SPCC Carbon Steel

Manufacturer accorded ISO 13485 medical manufacturing certificate. 

Interior Cabin Dimensions : 1990 mm W x 1880 mm D x 1720 mm H

Exterior Cabin Dimensions : 2620 mm W x 2050 mm D x 1880 mm H

Side Cabinet Dimensions   : 450 mm W x 1060 mm D x 1880 mm H

  

  

                                                         Pressure Safety Valves x 3  

Safety Features 

Automatic touch screen on off button

Automatic safety valve x 3 (see picture above)

Manual Pressure Relief valve

Emergency Manual Stop Switch 

                                                                     Rigid Frame Chamber 

Creature Comforts 

High Definition TV 

Intelligent Air Conditioner

Leather Reclining Sofa Seats x 2

Viewing window on side of cabin and on door

Inner Display Controller

Intercom System

3 color adjustable ambient lighting

Aviation door with large viewing window

Oxygen flow meter with humidifier bottle

Cabin Pressure Range : 10 kPA - 50 kPa

                                        Cabin / Chamber frame secured by bolts

For more information and quotations, please email :

a) qrasales@qra.com.sg

b) mark@qra.com.sg

We will be having our showroom setup very soon in Singapore by end September 2026. 

We are offering HBOT equipment and services by September 2026.

I am proud and happy to announce that by September 2026, my company QRA International will be offering hyperbaric or HBOT Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy services to the public.   

The chamber below will be set up at our commercial location in Bukit Batok and we will offer introductory prices to all interested parties. 

Pressure : up to 1.5 ATA

O2 level : 95-96% (with mask)

O2 level in chamber : 24-25%

Therapy sessions (1 hour) : SGD 60 

For scheduling of appointments, please email to 

E :  qrasales@qra.com.sg

We are also looking for agents (6 maximum) to market and sell the QRA soft skin hyperbaric chamber to the South East Asian market. All interested parties please write in with your resume to the following emails. (No calls please)  

For representation of QRA HBOT chambers, please email to :

E : mark@qra.com.sg  

Shortlisted candidates will be notified in due course.

Athletic Chamber for Athlete VO2 max enhanceent. - 2nd post of 2

 

Athletic Chamber for VO2 max enhancement

 

       For more information, please visit 

       www.qra.com.sg

  E : mark@qra.com.sg

       evalyn@qra.com.sg

       reypereira@qra.com.sg

 

I am prediabetic. Time to change my eating habits forever.

 

                                                       June 1974 at Trafalgar Square 

My recent blood test was (thankfully) quite a relief and while there were no results which was concerningly high (or low),  my blood glucose level falls in the prediabetic range. I have resolved to change my diet - bit by bit - first for the first 30 days and then hopefully it builds into a habit.

From what I have read, the prefrontal cortex of the brain does the analytical and logical thinking while the basal ganglia does the repetitive (automatic mode) work of the mundane.

I am fully cognizant that I need to do the following so there will be some changes to my diet and lifestyle.

Vegetables - eat more (1/2 plate)                 Carbohydrates - restrict (1/4 plate)

> Broccoli                                                      > brown rice

> Cauliflower                                                 > whole grain noodles             

> Mushrooms                                                > sweet potato

> Cucumber

> Tomato

> Steel cut oats

Protein (1/4 to 1/2 plate)

> Chicken without skin

 > Fish (steamed, grilled or fried)

> Tofu

> Eggs

> Unsweetened yoghurt

> Beans, lentils, chickpeas

 Fruits - eat more whole fruits but selectively

> apples 

> oranges

> berries

> papaya

Avoid as much as possible

> alcohol

> processed meats

> ham

> sausages

> bacon

> chips (crisps and chips)

> fast food

For a start, every 3 days, the third day will be my off day, so Wed and Sat.  will be my off days, and the rest I will try to adopt this diet. 

6 Sept 2026 164th Saint Andrew's Alumni Dinner

 

  One Family Unbroken 

Yesterday was the 164th Saint Andrew's Alumni Dinner. Held at the school hall in St Andrew's Village, our 10 cohort members made merry with a lot of old stories and catching up with the many friends from different cohorts of graduands.

This year's dinner was no different from the previous ones, with quizzes, fund raising events and speeches. One display stood out, the yo - yo presentation by a young Saint - he was phenomenal.

This display exemplified what being a Saint or an old boy means to me. The school provides us with Godly values of truth, honesty, and the development of young men and women to their fullest potential. The school is not only about producing young people with academic excellence or sporting excellence. The school values and celebrates diversity in their hobbies and encourages them to give of their best and be the best versions of themselves.

Melvyn Ang 

My takeaway each year is the same. We may reach great heights in our business and corporate lives, but at the end of the day, we give our due respect to our school, the principal, heads of department and teachers who in one way or the other helped us catalyse, initiate and nurture our fledgling lives into who we become. For many of us, the 12 years (in my case), formed much of my character and I am grateful to Saint Andrew's for the opportunity. 

                                                                                  Peter Tan 

 Up and On !