December 2007

Went ti sch for the last 2 days for mtgs..

The first day morning was quite boring. It was mostly of IT stuff and updating of IT knowledge. The first half still ok, teaching us how to use tablet PC. The second half was boring. Teaching us how to use smart board( when most of us alr know). But suprisely, the MT dept teachers (except for some of us, including me) were very "into" it.

The second half of the day was spent in staff mtg. The P went thru with us the whole of the Teachers' Handbook. SiANZ can???? U know how thick the handbook is...

Then, came the most "exciting" part.. Getting to know which class we teach. I am teaching 2 Hope, 4 Charity and 5 Hope. I think 2 and 5 Hope still ok, though i don know how much hope i have in them. I am teaching normal chinese for these two classes so should be ok..

可是，我却教4Charity深广学生！！！怎么可能？ 我只是一个才刚从教育学院长出来的萌芽，为什么会叫我去叫深广呢？ 我不知道其他的同事会怎么想。。。 有些会说我是因为有“靠山”所以才会有“那么好的优待吗？”我知道其实有许多老师在他们心里的最深处，有一个渴望教成绩较优越的一班。有一位老师因为需教一般较差（去年）而落下了眼泪。其实，如果我有的选，我其实并不是很排斥教“较有挑战性”的学生。虽然我对他们还不是称得上是以双手来迎接他们，但我总觉得这些学生还会听我的话吧！其实，越聪明的学生，问题就越多。家长的“回馈”，学生的“高傲”其实是我最怕的两件事。

昨天，我在离开学校之前，还跟同事开玩笑说，以后要好好备课，因为这些学生会比较聪明，问的问题会比较有深度。哈哈。。。 所以，以后就得先把学生会问的问题及答案在脑子里整理好之后才上课，再也不可以混水摸鱼，在一大群的资深的老师里昏昏谔谔地过日子。哈哈。。。

更可悲的是，明年我还是班主任。天啊！我怎么会那么有“潜能”啊？ 给我教深广的学生还不够，还叫我做班主任！他们赢了咯！ 叫一个一天只教他们3-4 节的华文 教师做班主任。如果家长要来与我谈关于他们孩子的事，可叫我如何是好，从何说起？Hmm.. 不对，不对。。。 应该是，不知要说什么， 尤其是那些不在我班的学生。嘿！ 只好与英文老师紧密地合作，互相补助。

风儿传来的消息还让我得知我明年会是"House Master"。 这个责任就是要做很多琐碎的行政工作。我觉得，应该办给那些“那么看得起我”的人一个“感谢”盾牌，让他们有个机会说一说感谢词。

事到如今，也只好至来之者安之。勇敢地扛起这些责任吧！ 不试的话，怎么知道我的伸缩性有多呢？希望我不会让我自己失望，不会让那些支持我的朋友失望。城景，新加坡管理大学！ 我来了！

Trip in Yunan 2004

Today, just happen to see thru my old pic and found this pics taken in China, Yunan.

This trip was indeed unforgettable. It was my virgin trip for Community Service and hence with the collaboration of Youth Expedition Project and Singapore International Foundation, a few of us fr all walks of life (NIE students, Army, Uni Undergraduate, Church goers, aspiring lawyers...) set off to help the less fortunate.

The prep was done sooooo long ago. Mtgs and mtgs nvr seem to end.

I can still remember the long train ride i have to endure from the Yunan capital (Kunming) to another big city (Dali). It was like a overnight ride lor (fr 10 plus @ night till 6plus early nxt morning). After which, have to sit on a few hrs bus ride to the small village.

The 1st Culture shock we gt was the toilet! Hmmm.. No flushing system, no doors... There was once incidewnt whereby i visited the toilet early morning to do my biz when students came in. When they saw us, they even greeted us.. Wah lau... Don know how to reply them lor.

Other than the sec sch students in the village, high sch students also came to us as we org a summer camp for them. This bunch of students are very talented lor.. Some even know how to play erhu.

Another thing to mention is that the trip was in June. However, in the morning when we woke up, it was freezing. I still remember that when my frenz wole me up, i was feeling irritated as I jus wan to snug in my warm slping bag. The temp there was worse than Cambodia's morning tempreature.

Despite the differences we have, both pple from the two countries jell pretty fast. At the end of the trip, after we spent 10 days in the sec sch, we felt very reluactant to leave. All the staff and students were crying. Needless to say, our tear ducts were doing their job pretty well too, i must say. On the bus ride back to the main city, the Principal was cracking a few jokes to make us happier but then... haiz.... Why cant he just shut up ? I know its with gd intention but @ tat time, it will be better if we could jus have a few quiet moments.

The R & R was gd also. I love the hotels that we stayed in during the R & R. Big and very comfortable. Visited a few sceneric spots that i will nvr forget.

I nvr regret gg onto this trip. Though there were some disagreements here and there, even amg ourselves, i did learn quite a number of things there. Seeing the faces of the students there made up for wat ever hard work we endured. I miss them so much that i even back packed alone there a few months ltr. haha. crazy me.

Till now, i still keep in contact with a few (then) high sch students ther via snail mail, email or even via long dist calling. Nvr will I ever forget that this short trip i did in my journey of life...........

Xmas is BACK !!!!

Xmas is cmg again, yeeeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Tons and tons of prez are awaiting for me. Also, time to go on a slimming prog for my wallet (not me?)...

Went to Orchard a few wks ago and saw the streets all lit up. Wow, nice. Together with the lights from the cars (yes, yes.. Massive jtraffic jam), the scenery is nt bad. For those who haven went down to take a look, pls do..

Monkeys & More..........

Ever wonder why teachers always call their students monkeys at time? Take a look st the above pic, dear colluegues (pardon my spelling error, cant remember how to spell). Does it remind u of someone u know in sch?

haha... The first pic look a bit R(A) rite? haha.. I was on a hike to BTNR when i saw these at the foot of the hill. Without any hesitation, i took out my trusty cam phone and snap snap away.haha.. Enjoy the moments

Crystal Jade (La Mian)

Long long time ago, went wif Mr A Drain to Suntec City. Totally forgt wat we did there but just remembered that we went to makan at Crystal Jade. The food was so so onli. Looking at the queues at the outlet, i thought the food damn good or soemthing like tat..

Haiz... Disappointing lor. Maybe i set my targets too high. Out of the 3 dishes (as shown in pic), onli the xiao long bao is nice lor. Wat a waste.

JB Food!!!

A few wks ago, together with some of my friends, wen went to Permas Jaya (Msia)for Dinner. Long time nvr mit up liao so wanted to have a good meal.

Its also the 1st time i saw KT's gf... Hahaha.... Kind of unbelievable. KT gt gf.... Wow.... News lehz, haha...

Had a hearty meal there.. We ordered like 6 dishes for 4 pax lor,haha.. I think HX gt a shock when she saw how much we ordered. I don think she dare come out with us anymore, hahha. The first pic is when we are half way thru.

After dinner, decide to take some photo of the strange seafood we saw on the restaruant. hmmm//////

Heard of Turbo Fish?? haha... When i saw the name, i thought its a kind of fish tat can swim superb fast.. Look at 2nd pic. Doesnt look like right? Looks more a bit of like BBQ Stingray, haha.. One thing to take note is that the mouth is loop sided. Soi funny. Its one of the touirst attraction i think.

"Sheng Zhi Dao !!!" is one of the common phrases we can hear in the peroidic drama. But we can also hear it here. 3rd pic. Looks more like bamboo, why call it "sheng zhi" in chn?? Diaozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Confirmation ! Confirm and Chop!

Actually, the next posting should still be of Cambodia but i haven get the photos yet. So if you wan to know more about Cambodia, wait till i get the photos from my friends first... Be patient. Good things need time to prepare, haha...

A few days ago, i was whining (hmmm.. Do guys whine?) away at how to pass my time during the holidays? Yes yes... I am very contradicting right? During sch days, i was desperate for holidays. Now holidays, suddenly like nothing to do like tat... Thought of various ways to spend my time... Go alone to Sentosa to relac one corner to listen to music, get some sunshine (i am getting whiter and whiter. Can become those steamed chix liao) or somewhere that i can be alone and have some time to myself..

But till then, my days are so packed, haha.. First, str8 after the holidays, i need go back to sch for mtgs and to attend conference elsewhere... Then after which, i spend one wk in Cambodia doing some humanitarian work (love it man!). Finally, one tuesday i decided that i ahve rested enough fr my trip and went to sch to tidy up my stuff (it lloks like all the natural and man-made diasters have happened at my table). Halfway thru my packing, my cousin called and asked me whether can take over his holiday job for a few days while he go overseas. As a servant to the Civil Service , of course i cant moonlight but i onli went to help him mahz... So still can, haha... Of course, gt some monetary rewards in return lar, like 60 per day. Ok lar. THe pay is acceptable thought not a lot. Can pass my time, get some money and at the same time, have a change of working environment.

THe place is in some ulu place near my reservist camp. When i was driving there, i suddenly feel very down. hah... Maybe when i drive past that place, it always to go back camp and hence, the feel. My "help" in that coy is to do data entry. Jus transfer things from hard copy to soft copy in a different format.. Wah lau... So boring lor. Imagine one whole day from 830am to 530pm u r in office typing and typing. How exciting can it be?

I am so happy that i nvr choose an office job. I used to dream bt a 8-5 office job but..... Now, i feel so fortunate that i nvr choose those job. I can nod off to slp even as I am typing lor.I prefer to see the monkeys in my sch than to see words and more words on the computer.At least, there is a new challenge everyday when u r teaching. I cant figure out what is the challenge by doing the same old thing over and over again......