maelstrom

i had a really weird dream! it was a 4hour35minute-long geography paper. it was really weird because there were some mcqs that were already answered. i glimpsed a question on defining 'plastic boundaries'. now, that's really weird, because i've only learnt three types of plate boundaries and none of them are 'plastic'. and, there was a question on measurements and uncertainties, just like a physics paper. i was running out of time, so i skipped that question, and went on to one which looked like a cloze passage, those which we did in primary school. but, it didn't involve coming up with the words. instead, i had to unscramble the gibberish beside the blanks. haha the last answer i unscrambled before submitting the paper was 'google it'.

i used the washing machine today. it's so fun to sit and watch it work. talk about slave drivers. it's cool to think about how the machine actually works. mine has this programme dial that turns by itself! i have probably sat in front of a washing machine and watched it work when i was much younger, but i don't remember at all.

the washing machine demonstrates the concept of circular motion. it's so fun to see the clothes fling to the sides of the machine was it spins really fast. the higher the speed, the greater is the centripetal force required, and so the required contact force between the clothes and the sides of the machine becomes big. they must really feel like they're on an amusement park ride.

i also think that it's fun to put your hand over the steam outlet of a rice cooker when there's steam coming out. after a while, your palm turns moist and it's a nice feeling. it's like giving your palm a facial!

the brand of my washing machine is 'whirlpool'. and the first time i came across the word 'maelstrom' was in primary one or two. huanghong used it in a composition, and mrs soh didn't know what it meant! so i guess that's the etymology of the word.