随缘

Kites

2010-09-12T12:27:00.002+08:00

若在周日晚上或周末到滨海湾水坝，不难看见许多国人在放风筝。这边一名父亲正兴奋地拉着线往前跑，在缅怀童年乐趣的当儿也在向家中幼小示范放风筝的方法。那边一群青少年不断将风筝向空中猛抛，希望抛得高一些，风筝就能够更顺利起飞。最令人咋舌的是亲眼目睹家中女佣一边拉着风筝线往前抛，一边呼喊少爷／小姐的名字。不知曾几何时，女佣的工作范围也包括放风筝哄少爷／小姐开心？
　　有放风筝经验的人都知道，要风筝起飞，必须放足够的线和依赖一定的风力。若要风筝飞得高、飞得远，那就得在风筝借助风力往上升时继续放线。要是舍不得将风筝方得又高又远，那只有两种结果：一是风筝无法超越一定的高度，在地面风力减弱后就掉落；另一个就是在强劲的风力下，风筝断线，像刺秦王的荆轲一样一去不复返。不是每个在水坝草场上放风筝的都深谙这个道理，因此放风筝的姿态百出，令人啼笑皆非。

欲言又止，欲欲还休

2010-02-13T20:30:00.003+08:00

熬过了“非人”的三个月，转眼间，新的一年又来临了。
忙到几乎疯狂、没有喘气的机会。
看到令人愤怒、火滚的情景。
眼看牛年要结束，又来一场车祸，只差天灾了。
只有感到累、气、些许无助、孤独、灰心，还有一点欣慰。
除了强颜欢笑、咬紧牙根，就是等时间的推移，还有感激好友的支持。
没有他们的陪伴、他们的耐心，相信生命应该没有那么多姿多彩。
不期盼新的一年里有什么，只把目光放在眼前这山峦后面的一片新大陆。

启示

2009-11-17T00:53:00.002+08:00

寻伴启示:
菜油正在寻找其伴侣－－果酱。知情者请致电通知，谢谢。

蒙主宠召：
果酱已于2009年11月15日受主召回天国，留下遗孀菜油一罐。

Time

2009-11-11T20:19:00.006+08:00

Taiji Exchange on 18th Oct 2009 (completed)
Setting holiday assignment for Sec 2 Express (completed)
Setting assignment in preparation for pandemic (completed)
Prepare Scheme of Work for 2E 2010 (completed)
Conducting Sec 3 Express lessons (completed)
Meeting parents concerning promotion to next level (completed)
Taiji Exchange on 31st Oct 2009 (completed)
Planning Chinese Orchestra year-end practice (completed)
Planning Chinese Orchestra year-end camp (completed)
Sec 2 Subject Selection Exercise (in progress)
Training Orientation Group Leaders for Sec 1 Orientation 2010 (in progress)
Attend year-end review meetings (2nd Nov to 17th Nov) (completed)
Planning for 2010
Planning and preparations for Sec 1 Registration
Planning and preparations for Sec 1 CCA Showcase and PTM
Preparing and training student speakers for Marketing Committee (completed)
Princess Elizabeth Primary School Visit (completed)
BBSS Open House (completed)
South View Primary Road Show (completed)
Prepare Chinese Orchestra Budget for 2010
Prepare Sec 1 Budget for 2010
Plan for Chinese Orchestra activities for 2010
Complete personal work review
Conduct year-end work review for 3 supervisees (completed)
Attend workshop on teaching of newspapers for Chinese Language (completed)
Customise Faculty Workplan

and maybe use whatever time left to plan what is left of my holidays.

无言

2009-09-29T22:41:00.004+08:00

好久没有写什么了，今晚应该专注批改完所有作业，但打了几通电话给家长，结果弄得自己的情绪久久不能平静下来。

家长没有为难我。原本简单的反映学生的学习态度及成绩，后来却感受到无尽的伤、痛和无奈。面对着一届届的学生，看着本地学生语言水平的发展趋势，十足感受到自己有多渺小，有多无助，甚至无能。心里没有答案，只有泪两横。一向自认不是什么顶级教师，也不是什么伟大圣人，只要学生能够对学习华文保持热忱，心里也就感到安慰。可是在面对一重重的压力、一次次的失败，又听到家长无奈的答复，想到自己再努力，恐怕也不能扭转局势，心里无尽的悲伤只能通过泪水涌出。

也许当初心中的熊熊烈火已经缩小成为微弱的烛光，也许一向瘦弱的身躯一直企图背着一座山，但事实始终摆在眼前。挫折何其伤……

哭也好，笑也罢。明天依旧要面对生命，面对着等待发芽的幼苗。

新“神话”

2009-07-18T22:17:00.002+08:00

最近电视上看到两部新的神话电视连续剧，因为无法接受，所以想趁此机会发表个人看法。刚重播完的《宝莲灯》和正在播映的《红孩儿》虽然取材自中国神话故事，但故事情节与原来的故事已经有一段距离。虽然制作单位可能是想给传统故事改头换面以适应新时代、新口味及新观众，但我觉得把原著改变得太多不仅与原著格格不入，还可能误导观众，让他们以为“新版本”的故事才是正确的。
　　我虽然对《宝莲灯》不太熟悉，但我知道猪八戒是不会留长发然后把它们编成辨子的。一个海龙王的儿子也不可能会拜猪八戒为师，学他使九齿钉耙。故事更不会有什么树精、女侠在晨香身边和他一起斗二郎神。王母娘娘更不会与二郎神向勾结，想把晨香打垮。红孩儿仅出现在《西游记》里的其中一章。孙悟空师徒四人与红孩儿交手数次，因无法灭他的三昧真火而结果劳驾观世音菩萨来解救他们，并把红孩儿收为善才童子。牛魔王的确曾与狐狸精在一起，但绝对没有什么三头龙或牛妈妈，更没有什么人类会和红孩儿深交。
　　一旦这类新型的电视连续剧深入民心，未读过原著的人们可是要把电视剧当作是原版来理解，这不但不能传承神话传说，还可能破坏故事的原本意义及艺术美感。若这真的发生，我想再多的华文老师也都不够用了……
　　就不知接下来会改编哪一本神话故事……

Transformation Apprehension

2009-07-13T23:30:00.004+08:00

No, I'm not talking about fears of change here, but about things that have similar labels but different packaging or content.
When Transformers movie came out some time back, I was apprehensive about the very different looks the robots had compared to what I knew about them when I was still a little kid. Granted, the movie was adapted and modified to suit the current audience and some designs needed to keep up with the times, but having a different appearance from the 1980s meant that people who knew Transformers cartoons back then would not exactly identify with them now. I liked the Transformers movie, the smoothness of the transformation, but the slight changes meant that my mind would process them as what they are now, not those that I used to know.

When the sequel to Transformers came out, I was apprehensive, not knowing if I should even watch. After some consideration, I decided to watch with my colleagues and treated it as though it were a new movie which is totally unrelated to the cartoons I held so dear in the past. The sequel is more action-packed, and boost a lot more robots, many of which defy the law of physics in their body proportion. The sequel also has a lot more and better sense of humour, but deep inside, I know very well that I will never see the cartoons in reel screen anymore, because the movie version will be etched into the minds of audiences who have not known the cartoons well. The movie version is here to stay, and the cartoons will forever remain what they were. For someone who can be sentimental to familiar things, this can be a little sad, because the cartoons which my generation was crazy about would never appear in anywhere else save youtube and DVDs, remaining forever a past memory.

There are many other things which have seen changes throughout the years, comics, table-top gaming figurines, role-playing games, to adapt to the times and draw in new crowds. True, they might have been successful in drawing in the new generation, but in the process lose some of the old guards. For lack of a better analogy, think of a movie showing new young teen Japanese actors dressed in 5 suits, a lot of CGI (computer generated images), 5 totally different animals which combined into a Devastator look-alike and call it Power Rangers. Think the teens now would also feel that it is not what they would be able to identify with too.

Call me old-fashioned or stubborn, but accepting a new look or new content is totally different from identifying the new packaging with the older version. They are simply not the same anymore.

SYF Instrumental Ensemble Presentation II

2009-07-13T22:13:00.005+08:00

Having watched the SYF Instrumental Ensemble Presentation before, I know I wouldn't want to miss this year's Ethnic Instrumental Ensemble Presentation.

1) Hougang Sec - Gamelan
Maya Sewu
Ambangan

It is a lot milder/mellow than the gamelan ensemble I heard 2 years back. Not too extraordinary, and definitely they did not achieve the mesmerising effect that the previous presentation had.

2) Raffles' Girls School - Indian Orchestra
Bo Shambo
Raagamaalika

Both songs, especially the first one, had a fast tempo and the sound of the strings always have the exotic feel to them.

3) CHIJ St Theresea's Convent - Anklung & Kulintang
Gamelanesque
Mamma Mia

The conductor & the ensemble left an impression on me as they were visibly performing with the melody in mind... meaning I can see them waving, moving, dancing to the rhythm.

4) Tanglin Sec - Guzheng
映山红
陆游与唐婉

This was quite an action-packed presentation as the female guzheng players were constantly making broad sweeps across the strings and you almost felt that there would be darts and blades flying out of the instrument, killing the audience in the recital studio.

5) Damai Sec - Guzheng
天山玫瑰
青藏高原

The 1st piece had the exotic melody of the minority tribes in western China, and was quite enjoyable. The 2nd piece felt more like 30+ guzhengs playing the same song in different octaves. It was also a rare occasion for me to see the modified guzhengs which enabled the ensemble to play both notes of higher and lower octaves.

6) Siglap Sec - Anklung & Kulintang
Keroncong Untuk Ana
Danny Boy

The conductor was not unfamiliar to me, and the music was pleasant as well. I was also able to see the bass kulintang, complete with the 3 lower notes which were built on a separate mobile rack as it was seldom used. After listening to this ensemble's presentation, I would be keen to see the conductor's gamelan ensemble as well.

SYF Instrumental Ensemble Presentation I

2009-07-09T23:23:00.002+08:00

Attended the 1st night of the IE presentation for SYF 2009. As usual, there are some which I found quite refreshing or impressive and some which I didn't quite enjoy. I must stress that my comments have more to do with the "feel" of the music than the standards of the performing groups since I'm not a music professional anyway.

1) Singapore Chinese Girls' School - Handbells & Handchimes
Furioso
Rock Around the Clock

Have been impressed the 1st time I heard Handbells 2 years ago. Still delighted by the choice of songs and the stage presence.

2) Yuhua Secondary School - Harmonica
Serenade Opus.48 - The Waltz
Riverdance

Both songs were quite nice, with Riverdance having a faster & upbeat tempo to it. I was hoping for the complete tune but since it is a guitar adaptation, there were limitations and the fast blood-rushing feel is not fully portrayed in the piece.

3) Dunman High School - Guitar
Mountain in Autumn
La Partida

4) Methodist Girls' School - Strings
Serenade for String Orchestra op. 11-4th movement:Marcia
Momentum Suite for Strings - 1st movement:Dance

They were quite impressive, partly because there was no conductor and the girls could start on their own. Not considering a part where they had to match each other's tempo, I felt they had done quite well. The choice of pieces were also quite good probably because they suited my preference.

5) Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School - Harp
Waltz of the Flowers
Bengawan Solo

Very prim and proper... the girls dressed up in green dresses and the conductor matched their colours. The 2 pieces were fine. Harp music is always soothing and decent, but lacking some edge or power in the melody.

6) St. James Settlement Junior - Harmonica
The Scenic of Yang Tze River
Malaguena

The 1st piece was quite somber and reminded me of, well, some serious occasions when the mood was down. The 2nd piece was slightly more entertaining but not having a perky and fun tempo, lacking a tinge of wildness that is usually present in Spanish music.

7) St. Gabriel's Secondary School - Guitar
Summer's Breeze
The Beatles

It was relatively light music, but somehow lacking in terms of the spirit.

8) Raffles Institution (JC)
Wondrous Evening Air
String Quartet Op 10 - Allegretto furioso

The pieces had a very heavy feel to them. The music felt as if it was very highly strung or very somber, not some light-hearted refreshing music. It also felt quite fitting for an institution reputed for good academic performance and serious attitude. Nuff said.

I will be looking forward to tomorrow night's presentation with ethnic instumental ensembles. :)

The Great Spend Savings Sale Part 2

2009-07-07T22:52:00.003+08:00

Well, this is the sequel to the blog entry with the same title.

Someone was unable to turn up in school today, so I stood in for her duties, thus delaying my own schedule.

Given the short span of time, it was already an achievement for me to be able to get
1) some pc games at a discount $59.80
2) a harddisk to replace the currently ailing one $72

after my evening appointment, there was more...
3) buy groceries $20
4) top up car petrol $68+

so that leaves me with some undone yet
a) MP3 player
b) haircut
c) red whiteboard marker pen
d) small ziplock bags
e) tupperware

so today's purchases easily exceed $300. No, I'm not rich, just that there are some things that had to be bought, and some things which wouldn't hurt to buy. Anyway, I don't spend such amounts everyday... such "spending spurts" usually occur once or twice a month only.

I must make special mention of one of my purchases - croutons.
I was looking for them for quite some time in West Coast Plaza Cold Storage, but failed to locate them. Tonight, not only did I manage to find them, Pepperidge Farm's croutons actually come in several flavours! (i.e. Classic Caesar, Onion & Garlic, Seasoned, Four Cheese & Garlic, Zesty Italian, Whole Grain Seasoned) In case you are wondering, croutons are those crunchy square bread cubes that you drop into cream of XX soup or mix them in a salad. I was on the brink of resorting to making my own croutons to have a good salad, but it seemed Lady Luck was smiling at me tonight.

Now, it's back to work...

The Great Spend Savings Sale

2009-07-06T17:18:00.004+08:00

No, this entry is not about how much I spent at the GSS, but about the things I would need or want to get.

1) New Harddisk
Now that my desktop is throwing tantrums no thanks to the unreliable harddisk, it seems that getting a new harddisk is imminent.

2) New MP3 Player
My old MP3 player was working well and fine, until it decided to go kapuk one fine evening after I return home from work. Till now, attempts to revive it has proven futile, so a new one will be in the works.

3) Audio Cable
There have been so many attempts at playing soundtracks, movie clips, etc via the laptop, but no sound was produced. It was only when a PA/AVA student identified the problem as the faulty audio cable that I was able to uncover this mystery. Ah well.

4) Haircut
No, not because I need to conduct a hair-check, but simply because although my hair is growing a lot slower than it used to, it is still growing. Since I will be going back to reservist with a proper haircut, it would be prudent to time my haircut so that I appear neat at work and later in reservist without having to visit my hairstylist twice within 1 month. Yes, not to save $, but simply because the rate of my hair growth does not warrant me to trim my hair twice in July.

5) Red Whiteboard Marker Pen
Some people are notorious for borrowing things and not returning them. Sometimes, highly demanded items are left around and never to be found again. Whichever the case, I need to replace 1 marker pen. No, I prefer to replace it myself because I'm responsible for my own items. Foolish? Perhaps, but I'm sticking by my principles.

6) Small Ziplock Bags
Somehow, the entire pack of small ziplock bags I used to categorise my stuff has gone missing and I suspect a monster named "Mum" had taken off with them. Never mind, I shall get some more and get my stuff organised.

7) Tupperware
Well, not exactly those that you keep your sandwich snack or cookies, but more for storage purposes. (Most of you would have no idea how much things I have...) Some to store crockery, figurines, etc...

2 Scenario Answers

2009-07-05T23:32:00.000+08:00

For those who have not gotten answers for the 2 scenarios I wrote earlier on, here's the answers...

Scenario A
Entering the premises, the visitors usually go about their businesses quietly, coming and going when they have achieved their objective. Most will refer to the electronic panels for their ideal results. Most will acknowledge each other's presence in quiet manner, though once in a while, you will hear someone greeting a familiar face, a couple of visitors chatting relaxingly over similar interests or pointing at familiar sights. Electronic voices acknowledge the visitors' efforts while a slip of printed paper records down the important details, and everyone leaves knowing they will be back for more.

Answer: Individual Physical-fitness Proficiency Test (IPPT) for NS-men.

Scenario B
Entering the premises, the visitors usually go about their businesses quietly, coming and going when they have achieved their objective. Some will refer to the electronic panels for their ideal results. Most will acknowledge each other's presence in quiet manner, though once in a while, you will hear someone greeting a familiar face, a couple of visitors chatting relaxingly over similar interests or pointing at familiar sights. Nonchalant faces acknowledge the visitors' presence while a slip of printed paper records down the important details, and everyone leaves knowing they will be back for more.

Answer: People buying 4D in a betting station.

Please stand behind the yellow line...

2009-06-28T10:31:00.002+08:00

我于六月中旬经常乘搭我国的地铁去改考卷，因此又能目睹我国交通高峰时段的现况。若以两个字形容，那就是“恶心”。

尽管地铁公司已经：

一、在月台地板画上黄线和箭头以显示乘客应该站在哪里排队等候地铁，
二、通过广播提醒乘客不要越过黄线，并且让下车的乘客先走出地铁，
三、指派工作人员指挥人潮以及提醒等候地铁的乘客要排队，

还是有人在地铁停下后便越过黄线或插队走到最前端，唯恐没有机会搭上地铁。没错，大多地铁都是十分拥挤，因此往往要等上两至三趟才能挤进一辆地铁，所以许多上班族都会尽量挤进列车。可是我觉得身为受过教育的白领阶级，他们不是应该懂得排队和先让下车的乘客出来的逻辑吗？别人想出来，你却上前从两侧企图挤进列车，岂不在出口处导致阻塞？这不但使整个过程缓慢，也根本没有顾及别人耐心排队等待。若照“女王本色”里的潮州叔来说，就是“让他们全部进猪笼啊！”每天看见这种场面，很想大声斥责那些没有耐性、无礼的乘客，即使自己无法挤上列车，但至少不会和他们同流合污，让人鄙视。

I had the chance of taking the MRT for 8 consecutive days during mid June to go for O level marking. Unfortunately, I was also there to witness the disgusting side of fellow Singaporeans.

Despite SMRT having
1) clearly drawn lines and arrows to guide passengers where to queue to board the train,
2) broadcasting reminders over public announcements to let alighting passengers come out before boarding the train carriage,
3) sent traffic controllers to guide the flow of traffic, remind passengers to queue and allow alighting passengers to come out,

there are still some who will cross the yellow line and jump queue the moment the train grinds to a halt. It is already a known fact that during rush hours in the morning, most would have to wait for 2-3 trains before able to board one train. There will always be people who fear being late for work, thus resorting to jumping queue and resorting to all means to board a train, but I feel that as educated white collar workers, they should have basic manners and common sense to let passengers alight before boarding. Trying to squeeze into the train from the side of the doors while others are alighting means creating a choke-point at the doors of each carriage. This not only slows down traffic, but also shows a complete disregard for people who have queued patiently for their turn to board the train.
There are so many times I was so tempted to burst out in anger at those inconsiderate and disgusting passengers, but at least I am proud of the fact that I do not belong to this group of disgraceful humans.

Chances in Life

2009-06-22T10:15:00.002+08:00

When you are given opportunities, would you pass them up, or grab them?

1) Nominated by teachers to represent school in an event or competition

2) Selected to go for a tough interview.

3) Attending a good concert which has limited seats/tickets.

4) Someone telling you where you went wrong, and you are given a chance to make amends.

Most educational institutions are there for us to err and learn from our mistakes. It is also a place where we learn some basic knowledge. Some may say that the knowledge is usually not applicable in further studies, but none can refute the truth that learning foundational knowledge is critical to developing one's cognitive skills, for example the ability to gather the right information and synthesize knowledge. This is the only phase in life where as long as we make small forgivable mistakes, we can still improve ourselves and move on to be a better person.
Society, however, is not that forgiving. Take the private sector for example. If you were to make a big error, that may be the last one you make for your current job, or the final thing you do before the whole industry learns about you and condemns you for life. A crime committed will entail a jail sentence, a fine, caning, or a combination of the above-mentioned. A heart broken as a result of words spoken rashly will probably mean the relationship will not be as good as new, no matter the efforts to mend it. An opportunity to go for a sought-after course or position, once given up, will probably mean that this chance will never be offered again, since you choose to pass it up.
How many times can we afford to miss our chances before we finally come to terms with the price for our actions? In simple English and in a nutshell, have you missed any chances so far?

2 Scenarios

2009-06-22T09:56:00.003+08:00

Have thought of 2 descriptive paragraphs some time back in March, but only got down to typing it out now. Feel free to make a guess as to what the 2 scenarios refer to. Sorry, no clues/hints and the paragraphs are meant to be similar for a healthy level of ambiguity. :)

Scenario A
Entering the premises, the visitors usually go about their businesses quietly, coming and going when they have achieved their objective. Most will refer to the electronic panels for their ideal results. Most will acknowledge each other's presence in quiet manner, though once in a while, you will hear someone greeting a familiar face, a couple of visitors chatting relaxingly over similar interests or pointing at familiar sights. Electronic voices acknowledge the visitors' efforts while a slip of printed paper records down the important details, and everyone leaves knowing they will be back for more.

Scenario B
Entering the premises, the visitors usually go about their businesses quietly, coming and going when they have achieved their objective. Some will refer to the electronic panels for their ideal results. Most will acknowledge each other's presence in quiet manner, though once in a while, you will hear someone greeting a familiar face, a couple of visitors chatting relaxingly over similar interests or pointing at familiar sights. Nonchalant faces acknowledge the visitors' presence while a slip of printed paper records down the important details, and everyone leaves knowing they will be back for more.

Got it yet? :)

If I'm not a teacher, I might be a/an......

2009-03-12T22:35:00.003+08:00

1) Geomancer/Fortune Teller: No, it has nothing to do with superstition nor religion. More to do with learning beyond what basic knowledge I have now of Chinese Mysticism. The knowledge can be used to learn more about the universe and help guide people around me to lead better lives. If anyone think this is a good avenue to strike rich for both me and/or the querent, then he is terribly mistaken, because I said better (happier, more enriching/meaningful) lives, not become richer. Yes, I do not regard highly people who only want to become richer and more powerful.

2) Chinese Physician: Unknown to most people, all basic knowledge about 5 elements, yin & yang, etc is applied to Chinese Wushu, Astrology, Astronomy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Taoism. Putting religion aside, all these knowledge form the basis on which to explore various areas of studies. TCM has been around for more than 2 thousand years and the sheer collective wisdom accumulated throughout the ages is usually little known or usually misunderstood. I may prefer to be clean and neat, but I believe the wisdom of our ancestors are a good guide to healthy living. It is better to share such wisdom with other common folk, instead of waiting until struck by cancer and following recommendations of Western doctors to do chemotherapy and have TCM as post therapy treatment.

3) Chinese Historian/History Researcher/History Lecturer: My love and fascination of 3000+ years of history has never been fully explored. I would be more than willing to share my knowledge to people (yes, Westerners are more keen than Asians to learn about Chinese History) who are interested to know.

4) Researcher in Institute of Policy Studies: Politics have always been interesting and by keeping myself abreast with developments around the world, I believe it keeps my analytical mind sharp.

Times have changed... for the worst.

2009-03-07T17:02:00.005+08:00

Times are constantly changing. We all know because things are different. (The list below will be updated again when more behaviour is recalled/observed.)

In the Past:
1) When we didn't submit our work, we were so frightened when the teachers made us stand.
2) When we achieved 50% of the marks for a test/exam, we knew we didn't study enough and felt disappointed and ashamed.
3) It is correct to return all utensils and crockery after a meal in a foodcourt/canteen/someone else's kitchen. We also ensure that any food dropped onto the tables/floors are cleared and disposed of properly.
4) We throw away rubbish that we see around us in school even when it was someone else who dropped it.
5) Once reprimanded/scolded by teachers, we would keep quiet for the entire lesson, be ashamed and apologise to the teacher.
6) Try our best to meet the target set by teacher, like desperately reaching the 300/500 word for an essay.
7) Submit our late assignment immediately after school or the very next day.
8) Give the guilty look when reprimanded and keep quiet throughout.
9) Read storybooks during holidays, after school, and all other free time.
10) Help to lay crockery/utensils on the table before a meal and wash dishes after a meal.
11) Address all elders at a table before dining.
12) Eat whatever food is on the table.
13) Parents caned their children when they hear that their children has been punished in school.

Now:
1) "I forgot", "I never bring". Standing is a daily business which doesn't seem a big deal at all.
2) "Luckily I'm not the lowest in class." "I passed!"
3) Plates, food wrapping, cups are all left for other people to clear. The mess is left behind and no one bothers.
4) "This rubbish is not mine."
5) Keep silent for not more than 5mins, then start talking to classmate sitting beside AGAIN. (Where's the apology?)
6) Anyhow scribble and submit a piece of paper that is so crushed/torn/smudged and contains less words than a primary 5 compo.
7) Keep quiet and hope that the teacher forgets to collect the assignment. (got count for CA or not also the same)
8) Look elsewhere or just stare blankly at the teacher scolding as if nothing is happening/give a defense that is almost good enough to defend a murderer in court/"Whatever, I don't care."
9) Chat on MSN, play Maple Story/CS/DOTA/Audition, SMS everyone and claim that life is boring despite rotting (doing nothing) at home.
10) Arrive at the table after completing the game/chat, leave immediately after finish eating. Might do some clearing only when asked to.
11) Start taking favourite food before everyone is seated at the dining table.
12) "Eeee, I dunwan this." "Ewww, I dun eat dat."
13) Various reasons are given as to why a child cannot be caned, but nothing is said about giving the child the appropriate punishment for an offence he/she has committed.

Varied Emotions

2009-02-26T23:45:00.002+08:00

Disheartened
Angry
Saddened
Tired

随缘轩

2009-02-18T17:10:00.004+08:00

Well, now that we are implementing the Home Room system where students roam while teachers are more based in class, I am already thinking of the layout of the classroom and the functions. May I declare my Home Room open in the afternoon for all on a common understanding:

Day: Tue, Wed (when there's no staff meeting), Thurs & Fri
Time: 2:30pm onwards till 5:30pm

Activities allowed:
1) Priority for students weak in Chinese to come for remedial during my allocated slots.
2E/NA - Tue, 2:30pm till 4pm (estimated time)
3E2 - Thurs, 2:30pm till 4pm (estimated time)
2) Colleagues can come and do marking & perhaps have Chinese tea & high tea together.
3) Students who are self-disiciplined and want to make good use of time with a suitable environment can come to do self-revision.
4) A set of Weiqi will be available for all who wish to learn/practice.
5) Some books will be available for reading.

Rules & regulations:
1) Any disruptive behaviour (e.g. talking loudly, playing in homeroom) will not be tolerated.
2) Any unruly behaviour (scolding vulgarities, violence, disrespect for any person, vandalism) will be severly punished.
3) Visitors are expected to maintain the cleanliness of the room at all times, hence food and drinks from outside will not be allowed and all waste must be disposed of.

Wish List

2009-01-29T22:12:00.005+08:00

New year, new things to look forward to.

1) Complete assembly & painting of my 4 Warhammer Fantasy Armies (Vampire Counts, Lizardmen, Wood Elves, Chaos Daemons) (this is quite challenging)

2) 2 identical bookshelves to house more books

3) A plastic box to contain majority of my PC games >.<

4) A 3-storey bungalow complete with a war room (Warhammer, D&D RPG, boardgames), open dining space with water feature beside, perimeter surrounded by bamboo and stone pebbled steps, open concept rooftop with outdoor table & chairs + shower/wash point & surrounded by ferns (this is near impossible...)

5) A walkthrough for the quests on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

6) Starcraft 2 (the complete set of 3)

7) Complete Neverwinter Nights Series 1 & 2 (Time, gimme more time!)

8) Glass cupboard to display Warhammer armies

9) Cupboard to store boardgames

10) Students to enjoy my lessons and be motivated to improve their Chinese Language and learn more about Chinese culture and history. Every cohort should have a few to carry on the interest and spread their love of the language, culture and history to even more younger generations. (my lifelong ideal!)

11) A new pair of working shoes & pants

12) Some new colours and designs for tshirts and shorts/berms/3 quarter pants

13) Find myself someone to shower my care and concern...

Another Hellish Week

2009-01-21T22:02:00.002+08:00

One might think that after last week, things could not be any worst.

Mon: 3 lessons back to back, Cluster Meeting, Buy HansWare & preparations for CNY
Tue: 3 lessons back to back, CNY Concert Rehearsal
Wed: 3 lessons back to back, Staff Training Workshop, Buy CNY Goodies
Thur: CL Dept FGD, Running through CNY Concert, CO Practice
Fri: Preparations for CNY Concert, CNY Concert

It's times like these that makes you think twice about celebrating something so early in the year.

Spring Cleaning

2009-01-19T23:29:00.002+08:00

Well, after such a long time, the stuff in my study requires some cleaning & tidying up as well. Hence, 1 Saturday was spend just sorting out and disposing the unwanted documents. Another Sunday was spent sorting out my entire collection of DVDs and some noteworthy VCDs. Hence, now my DVD/VCD collection is divided into:
Animation - English, Anime, Chinese
English Movie - Fantasy, Sci-Fic, History
Chinese Movie - Wuxia, Modern
Serial - Japanese, Chinese, Korean
Documentaries

The next mission would be to sort out my printed materials collection, namely my novels, reference books, magazines and gaming resources.
Novels - Wuxia, Fantasy, Epic+History
Reference - Mammals, Birds, Ecosystems, Language Reference
Literature - Classic novels, Reference Materials
History - Chinese, Egypt, Incas, Greek
Chinese Mixed - Geomancy, Wushu, Traditional Chinese Medicine, War Strategy, Customs & Traditions
Travel - Countries, Islands, Visited Locations, Maps
Magazines - First, National Geographic, PC Gamer, White Dwarf
Gaming Materials - D&D, Warhammer, PC Game Guides

Everything About Me

2009-01-18T23:21:00.008+08:00

Horoscope: Aries
Blood Type: AB+
Order of Language Acquisistion: Mandarin, English, Hokkien, French, Cantonese

Favourites

Colours: Blue, then (in no particular order) Black, Red, White

Local Delights: (in no particular order) Wanton Char Siew Noodles, Roasted Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, Oyster Omelette, Minced Pork Noodles, Lor Mee, Beef Ball Noodles, Fried Bee Hoon, Xing Zhou Bee Hoon, Kan Qia Mee, Fried Hokkien Noodles in Black Soy Sauce, Vegetarian Food, Lor Duck Rice, Prawn Soup Dumpling, Chinese Rojak, Laksa

Drinks: (in no particular order) Passionfruit Soda, Milo, Milo Dinosaur, Passionfruit Green Tea with Black Pearls, Green Apple Green Milk Tea with Green Apple Jelly, Milk Tea, Longjing Tea, Osmanthus Tea, Chrysanthemum Tea, Jasmine Tea, Hazelnut Frappe, Nougat Frappe

Fruits: Longan, Honeydew, Rockmelon, Duck Pears, Papaya, Durian

Dessert: (in no particular order) Black Porridge with Vanilla Ice Cream, Cold Bobo Chacha, Grass Jelly with Longan, Ice Jelly, Praline Chocolates, Ice Cream

Ice Cream Flavours: Vanilla, Hazelnut, Oreo, Tiramisu, Black Porridge

Precious Stones: Blue Sapphire, Amethyst

Jewellery: Rings

Animals: (in no particular order) Wolf, Raven, Owl, Octopus, Whale, Tarantula

Ideal Home: 3 storey bungalow surrounded by bamboo

Comic Characters: Storm Ororo, Magneto, Omega Red, Banshee, Phoenix, Dr Strange, Green Lantern

Genre for Stories: Fantasy, Wuxia, Detective

Non-fiction: (in no particular order) Ecology, Palentology, Climatology, Astronomy, Astrology, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Archaeology, History, Classical Chinese Literature, Languages (French, Russian, Italian, Spainish, Latin)

Magazines: (in no particular order) National Geographic, First, PC Gamer

Fantasy Races: Elf, Half-elf, Humans

Fantasy Character Classes: Cleric, Wizard, Druid, Sorcerer

Fantasy Undead: Vampire, Lich

Fantasy Creature: Dragon, Elemental, Unicorn, Griffon

Strategy PC Game:
(in no particular order)
Medieval Total War
Rome Total War
Medieval 2 Total War
Heroes of Might & Magic 2
Heroes of Might & Magic 3
Heroes of Might & Magic 5
Universe at War: Earth Assault
Starcraft
Broodwar
Warcraft 2
Warcraft 3
The Battle for Middle Earth
The Battle for Middle Earth 2
Disciples Series

RPG PC Game:
(in no particular order)
Baldur's Gate Series
Icewind Dale
Planescape: Torment
Neverwinter Nights Series
Neverwinter Nights 2 Series

Action PC Game:
(in no particular order)
Diablo
Diablo 2
Nox

Online Game:
(in no particular order)
Guildwars
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

Boardgames: (in no particular order)Puerto Rico, Kingsburg, Age of Mythology, Mare Nostrum, Marvel Heroes, Werewolves of Miller Hollow, Betrayal at House on the Hill

Wonderful Week

2009-01-14T22:42:00.002+08:00

Mon, 12th Jan - Release of 'O' Level Results cum finalising details of CCA Showcase
Tue, 13th Jan - School Management Committee Meeting
Wed, 14th Jan - Staff Contact Time, Parents Support Group Meeting
Thurs, 15th Jan - Social Emotional Learning Workshop
Fri, 16th Jan - CCA Showcase, Sec 1 Parents Teachers Meeting

I need a drip with Brand's Chicken Essence as the solution...

Wat luck!

2009-01-12T21:21:00.003+08:00

Dec 2008
Sometime before Christmas 2008, my desktop aka gaming-cum-communication device has been acting up. On bad days, it would refuse to boot up, preferring to hang and pout at me.
I got a backup harddisk to help save important documents and by the time I sent it to the pc repair shop on 23rd Dec, it had close for the day. So my dad had to be the one delivering.
After prelimnary tests, the harddisk was the one giving the problems so had to be returned to the manufacturer. When it is returned, it will have to be reformatted and the OS (Operating System) had to be reinstalled.

1st Jan 2009
I decided to get myself a brand new handphone to make myself happy and also get a prepaid card to maintain a line for the Sec 2 camp. After breakfast on 1st Jan, I went over to West Mall Singtel. Seeing the long queue, (yes, I can be impatient at times) I gave up and head home. Not giving up, I went over to IMM to check out, but they had no prepaid cards and there was this lady who was almost hogging the salesperson, so I simply left. After dinner with relatives, I rushed to West Mall again to get the prepaid card. The model I wanted was out of stock, so I went to a nearby Sony Ericsson shop to get a brand new G900 without being able to renew my hp contract. On 3rd Jan, I went to get my phone contract renewed and gotten a free Sony Ericsson (old model) phone.

Yes, I probably could have gotten the phone I wanted at IMM with my contract renewed and the prepaid card at some 7-11 store and probably saved over $400. No point getting upset over my obvious lack of patience and clear planning here.

9th Jan 2009
The premiere of Red Cliff Part 2. Everyone who knows me well knows I'm a fan of Romance of the 3 Kingdoms. After watching part 1 with my Secondary School friends, we decided to watch part 2 together as well. Hence I became the organiser via Facebook for this round of movie-watching. Coincidentally, my colleagues (those who were well at least) also wanted to watch on the same day, but at a later time. Since I agreed on the 1st appointment long ago, I went ahead with my ex-classmates.

I thought I could leave office by 3-4pm, get some rest and go downtown leisurely, but I was wrong. When I was almost done with the day's work, I received an sms reminder to submit some stuff, so had to think through, type out and email. By then it was already 6:15pm, so getting dad's car to fly down to orchard would be the best solution. Grabbing the laptop & power adaptor but missing the 3-pin plug, I rushed home to get the car, realised my folly and went to school to pick up the 3-pin plug, but the office was already locked. As time was short, I left in a hurry and went on PIE to get caught in the after-work jam. 4 sms sent to the rest received no reply whatsoever, which was quite unusual.
When I reached my destination 15mins late, I still had no idea which level or which cinema my friends were at. At least 3 phone calls were made with no response, and the $700 odd phone simply died from no battery after that. Faced with destiny, I chose to end the day with a 7:40pm KFC dinner and drove back home to sleep.
It was only on the next morning after the phone was fully recharged that I know my phone missed 4 msg and attempted to receive over 12 phone calls.

10th Jan 2009
It was a dull day with some concerned friends asking if I was alright since I missed the show and could not be contacted throughout the whole night. I also got to know my poor desktop didn't accept my old OS product key and decided to change to Windows Vista and have Windows Office 2007 installed to prevent conversion problem with official documents from workplace. All in, it would cost me another $700. I thought of going to Kbox to release my pent-up frustration but decided to complete the spring-cleaning of my study instead.

11th Jan 2009
Unable to vent my frustration the day before, this had to be the day to go Kbox to burst my lungs and burn my throat. Acting on impulse, I smsed to some but understandably, all were either too sick or busy to go. In the end, I went to the supposedly location, but found out Kbox was gone when the mall underwent renovation. Apparently, fate didn't even want me to de-stress.

Life had been good.

Month Long Ailment, a Sprained Ankle and 5 kg less

2009-01-04T15:18:00.006+08:00

This tale began from late Nov 2008, when it was a hectic time to sum up 2008 in reports, plan for activities for Jan 2009, pack personal stuff for moving and preparing for the China trip.

After the long days and late nights, a cold was brewing even on the night (20th Nov) when my group and I had our year end makan gathering at my house. After an incredulous 8 hours of packing 14 boxes (21st Nov), the cold decided to come out of hiding and necessitate a visit to my doctor before flying off to China the next day (22nd Nov).

In the coolness of Chinese winter, the cold bided its time. With a combination of cold mineral water, oily and salty food, the environment was taking its toil on the digestive and immune system. Cough and a mild gastric flu, both accomplices of the cold, came in defiance of the amount of herbal tea consumed, (22nd Nov - 4th Dec) with a sprained right ankle to top it up (2nd Dec).

Upon touch down (4th Dec), things weren't exactly fine, so another visit to the doctor was necessary. Since the long planned chalet was due (5th Dec - 8th Dec), there was no way to stop the inevitable, but only prolonged suffering. A 5 days' dose of stronger antibiotics was prescribed but was accidentally consumed in 3 days as I forgot to bring the box with instructions attached. Of course, with little rest and late nights, the cold/flu continued unabated. The feeling of the sprained ankle lingered as well during the chalet.

Returning to work in a weakened state (9th Dec - 19th Dec) would only mean less than optimum performance and slower rate of recovery. True enough, the flu shifted into high gear and devastated the entire system in the form of a long, silent and mild gastric flu with lungs full of phlegm attached. The cough also sounded bad and although there was no ache with the application of medicated wine, the feeling of a weakened ankle persisted. With a delicate digestive system due to the gastric flu, recovery would be even much slower since the system cannot take too much stuff at any one time.

The infrequent dosage of panadol flu tablets, lacto fort and some tablets for phlegm meant a long and slow process of recovery. Till now (4th Jan), the feeling of a sprained ankle can still be felt even though the ankle has healed, and the occasional dry cough with some phlegm will still rear its head to remind me that my body succumbed to the flu virus relatively unchecked. Yes, the spoils of the war between the virus and my immune system was a loss of 5kg and a frail look as a result.

Maybe next time, I would be better prepared and my immune system would be stronger without much assistance from antibiotics.

Footnote: The main reason for my resistance to see the doctor a 3rd time was due to my incorrect intake of the stronger dosage of antibiotics, which resulted in incomplete recovery and the possibility of the virus gaining resistance/immunity towards it. Besides, my body needed to learn to fight the virus the slow and natural way.

Hangzhou Trip

2008-12-30T23:35:00.003+08:00

Well, it would be a daunting task to try and put all the pictures here after I have chosen 218 pictures out of 606 pictures to place in Facebook, so I guess I will just do a recall here.

I would say that I learnt less of China's history this time round compared to the trip in 2006. Simply because there were many occasions that the tour guide was at the front of the line quickly muttering away while I was behind translating bits and pieces and also adding my share of knowledge of history and culture. So by the time we caught up, the guide simply moved on to the next site to start muttering again. I wonder if those in front who heard understood what they heard and wrote them all down correctly. This is due to my prior experience of students and I listening to the tour guide, but I was the only one who could understand it all and catch it all down in my notebook correctly. There were also a few occasions that the locations were to small or narrow to house the entire group. Despite my advice, the usual people from the same groups crowded in front, leaving members of other groups behind and unaware of what was being introduced in front. I cannot blame the local tour guide entirely, only the regret that people habitually chose to remain where they were in the group. Well, I guess this time round, they have to rely on themselves.
When it comes to food, Singaporeans have shown to be a lot less adaptable to foreign context. It was a pity that some of the dishes during the various meals were relatively untouched, because they were unknown or uneaten before by those seated around the table. Eating cup noodles and potato chips more than 3000km from home says a great deal about us. China parents may be pampering their only child, but ours are not too far off either. The result of such diet and late nights (did I mention how active people still were near midnight?) was a cacophony of coughs, sore throats and flu en route back home. From past experience, I was sure that had the journey been longer or more travelling was involved, half the group would be feverish and vomitting daily already.
This trip was humbling to me where it came to language. Yes, I was the de-facto translator for many occasions, and I had discovered that translating from Mandarin to English was easier, whereas translating from English to Mandarin would be somewhat challenging. The frequent usage of English in Singapore's context, the time required to find a suitable (no, not 100% match) phrase to replace a particular English expression while matching the rules of Chinese grammar in front of a crowd that lived and breathed Mandarin meant that such translation was not an easy feat. Still, I had managed to survive with lots of patience, understanding and perhaps a decent dose of respect from the audience. Needless to say, the translators from both sides appreciated the help rendered by each other, and we both look forward to further assistance when the Chinese are due to visit us in July 2009.

Year End Gathering

2008-12-30T22:54:00.002+08:00

The year end gathering was successfully held at my place on 20th Nov 2008 with about a dozen attending. I've originally planned for myself to cook about 5 dishes for 14 people, but the kind souls either chided me for being crazy and offering to get food rather than make me cook like crazy just 2 days before I fly to Hangzhou, China.

Anyway, here's my menu:
1) Cabbage with mixed vegetables (cabbage, tang hoon, dried prawn, mushroom, tau pok, carrot, fishcake, "golden needle fungus", black fungus)
2) Savoury black soy sauce chicken
3) Sweet and sour prawns with capsicum (a last min innovation coz I scared not enuff to eat)
4) Beancurd stir-fried with Chinese leek
5) Foochow fishball soup with yan pi (Foochow meat dumplings)

Then, there are contributions by the rest:
1) Spongecake
2) Raspberry Cheesecake
3) Brownie with ice-cream
4) Chinese desserts (tau suan, black glutinuous rice. chendol, etc.)

Participants included:
1) Mr L
2) Mr Q
3) Mrs J
4) Mrs P & husband
5) Ms C
6) Miss S
7) Mr P
8) Mr L
9) Miss N

Needless to say, we had quite a good time just simply eating and chatting and watching tv.

No one knew I was already having a cold then. :)

2008 Year End Updates

2008-12-30T22:47:00.002+08:00

Time passes very fast, seemingly gushing past, and before you know it, a year is about to end.

Novemeber was packed with loads of stuff.

There was the usual meeting marathon to review everything in the year and planning for the next year.

Then there was the frantic preparation for the overseas Twinning Programme

Planning and cooking dishes and having a year-end gathering before the year closes.

Frantic packing stuff into 14 boxes to move back to a new school campus

Planning for the chalet that will happen the day after I touch down in Singapore from the overseas trip

The simply unmotivating unpacking of all 14 boxes.

The follow-up to all the preparation for 2009.

Then meeting marathon again.

Then the year ends.

Fun right?

In case some homosapiens still want to ask the same old question again of "Where did you go after you came back from your China working trip?" The answer is "nowhere".

Concert Aftermath

2008-11-09T21:06:00.003+08:00

Went to support a friend in West Winds performing at Esplandade for Beautiful Sunday (aka free concert for public to get in touch with arts). It was packed as usual half an hour before the concert, and I wouldn't be able to grab a my FAVOURITE seat in the gallery if not for the uncle in the red cab. So much for a free concert, but that's not the point.

After attending a few concerts a year, I realise almost every concert gives me ideas of sorts. They couldn come in the form of pieces to perform, ways of performing, attire for performing, arts outreach, etc. Yes, it sounds exaggerating, but ideas do come every now and then. Anyway, before I go on, the pieces performed by West Wind Concert Band today were:

1) 20th Century Fox Introductory Music
2) Jurassic Park
3) Moriccone's Melody from "Gabriel's Oboe"
3) Final Fantasy VII
4) Out of Africa
5) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
6) The Incredibles
Encore) High School Musical

This is probably the 2nd time they are performing movie soundtracks, with pieces like "Pirates of the Carribean", "Star Wars" and many others from previous concerts. The students of the performers (yes, some were music teachers/conductors) were out in full force, screaming in support for their idols. Teenage readers of my blog who might have been interested in a few pieces would be sad to have missed their preferred pieces today (aka High School Musical).

Missing notes and other errors aside, my mind was already thinking of what would be the Chinese Orchestra version of such a concert be like. Soundtracks from famous Chinese movies would include:

《卧虎藏龙》
《菊花台》
《英雄》
《神话》
《粱祝》
《功夫》
《江山美人》
《赤壁》

Although most students would agree that the Orchestra does need to keep up with the times and play popular pieces, it is technically not that simple. With some careful listening, one can tell that many of the soundtracks' main melody is quite monotonous, and playing it on 1 single instrument will make it very bland. Even if the whole piece is broken down and divided into various instruments for the full orchestra, the accompliment cannot hide the fact that the melody is still quite plain. Unless a music arranger/composer takes it upon himself to rearrange the entire score into one that is very rich and enrapturing, it is basically difficult to showcase the soundtracks of the above-mentioned movies. Only Kungfu Hustle's soundtracks contain mainly traditional Chinese Orchestra pieces. Having said all these, I still hope someone out there will write more soundtracks which can be/should be performed by Chinese Orchestra.
I was also observing how certain instruments were played, and noticing how a pair of cymbals were struck so as to better guide my members during practice. Talk about life long learning and applying past knowledge!

Grrr.... utube....

2008-11-09T11:46:00.004+08:00

Gave up trying to capture my favourite Western pop songs in youtube. Those companies out there seem to think everyone's downloading song clips/MVs for commercial benefits. For 10 song that I tag as favourite in youtube, there will be at least 1 which is listed as "not available in your country". With most of us not able to watch an ORIGINAL MV anytime/anywhere we want (esp in K-Box, or on MP3 players), it is hardly a wonder why the rest of the world tries to be a pirate to grab everything.

Anyway, I have never been a fan of graphic novels, because I've categorised them together with Western comics. Most are grim &/or gloomy, many have spun off alternate stories until a spider web seems more organised than a storyline. Happened to chance upon the following clip in (of all places) IMM Challenger. So the "Watchmen" is finally arriving, to the thrills and anticipation and fear of all fans...

I'm sure many out there would be more capable of enlightening me and the rest of the world on the story behind this graphic novel, so I shall just wait.

Words & Songs & more Words

2008-10-01T21:27:00.004+08:00

Spent afternoons looking at words after words with plenty of music to accompany me.

Oh yah, I DO listen to English songs!

Love Thy Language

2008-09-22T16:54:00.003+08:00

"Cher, fail Chinese never mind right?"

Such is a remark that surprised me from one so young. True, going to the next level, or even higher education, does not require you to pass your Chinese Language. But to fail any single subject at the entry level, isn't that very telling of how well you have fared? Can one imagine what would be the outcome 3 years later, when the standard will be much higher?

Language takes a long time to improve, and only improves with constant usage, which includes reading, writing, listening and speaking. If you are one of those who only speak when the situation requires you to, things will only go downhill from here, as you will end up with less and less words to convey your thoughts into messages for others to receive. Likewise, if you think just reading through (or not even bothering to read) textbooks just before the eve of a language paper can do wonders, then you are wrong again. The cumulation of non-submission of work, non-reading of printed materials for a prolonged period of time will do much more harm than a week or even a year of focused study. Try not reading any text which has English Language for a year and you will find your mastery of the langauge stagnating or even detoriating.

French speak French, and the Japanese speak Japanese because they are proud of their heritage. The British and Americans speak English because it is their rightful language. For us in Singapore, we follow our racial roots, speaking our Mother Tongues and English because it is the administrative language in this country. Should one day come when all races in Singapore are unable to speak their own mother tongue (God forbid), then we have truly lost our identity and advantage of having a bilingual education. Why? The Mainland Chinese are starting to speak English in their nursery and primary schools, the English are starting to learn Mandarin at age 10. Should foreigners speak better than us in the languages we claim to know, where does that put us in the global arena? What do we become?

如果你不能够理解我接下来所要说的，那你应该是从来没有学过中文，因为中国人、台湾人、香港人、还有世界各地的华人都应该看得懂中文字。随着英国一些学校推行所有学生必须在10岁开始学习中文，以及法国和韩国的中文热，世上应该有越来越多人讲华语、写中文字。我虽称不上什么语言专家或天才，但我还能以自己懂得两种语言为荣。可是现在已经有越来越西方国家开始学中文，而中国开始全面推广学英文，我们双语的优势即将消失。

当然，许多目光短浅的国人可能会说：“我在我国只要懂得英语就行”，可是与欧洲各地的人民相比，我们是差得太远了。美国前国务卿阿尔布莱特(Madeline Albright)懂得6种语言，在国外与其他国家领袖谈判时，几乎不需要依赖翻译员。即使是一般的欧洲人，他们也至少会2、3种语言，其中当然少不了自己的母语。

学两种或以上的语言真的那么重要吗？是的。因为一旦我们和其他国家相比，自己的语文水平比不上，对自己民族的文化、历史、习俗的了解也不深，那我们还有脸面对世界吗？如果连邻国马来西亚的华人都觉得掌握自己的母语很重要，那我们是不是应该更认真去把自己的语言学好，并且再努力学习其他语言，才能更有能力面对将来的各个挑战呢？自己的将来都掌握在自己手中，选择在于自己。

要是真的轻易就说放弃，那和一个少了一只手的人有什么不同？

The Final Countdown

2008-09-16T22:20:00.005+08:00

7 days to the start of SA 2, 10 days to SA 2 CL paper, 1 month plus to 'O' levels examinations. It's the Final Countdown!

Fortunately, some have started their revision. As for the majority, hmmm...

Anyway, I shall be having my remedial for Sec 1E this Friday (19th Sept)from 1pm till 2:30pm. (estimated)
Those identified lucky ones must come, others are welcome. :)

Things to cover during remedial:
1) Simple revision for letter writing
2) Understanding essay questions and writing to the point
3) 1 cloze passage
4) 1 comprehension passage
5) Answer any doubts

SA 2 Format:
Paper 1 (70 marks, 35%) (MOE approved dictionaries are allowed for this paper)
Functional/Letter Writing (20 marks)
Essay (50 marks)

Paper 2 (70 marks, 35%)
Cloze Passage
MCQ Comprehension
Comprehension

Listening Comprehension (20 marks, 10%)
Already covered in 1st semester

Oral Exam (40 marks, 20%)
Already covered in 1st semester

试卷一（70分）（可以带教育部批准词典进入考场）
实用文－私函（20分，2题选1题）
作文（50分，3题选1题）

试卷二（70分）
综合填空
阅读理解一
阅读理解二

听力考试（20分）
上半年已经考过

口试（40分）
上半年已经考过

考试范围：
学生应该已经把中一所有词汇都学会，因为接下来所有考试（中二、三、四）都会出现一些读过的词汇。没有复习的学生只会觉得有越来越多词语都不认识……

Marathon

2008-09-10T22:08:00.002+08:00

1200-1300: 1E4
1300-1315: Quick Lunch
1315-1456: Remedial
1456-1510: Meeting for SA 2 Timetable
1510-1700: Marketing Committee Meeting
1700-1805: Tea Break and packing things
1805-1930: Return home, dinner, check email
1930-2110: Return to school, PSG Meeting
2110-2215: Buying groceries, returning home
2215 onwards: stoning...

Meeting Week

2008-09-09T21:48:00.002+08:00

This week seems to be a meeting week.

Mon - School Management Committee Meeting
Tue - LEAPS Meeting
Wed - Marketing Committee Meeting + Parents Support Group Meeting
Thurs - Chinese Language Department Focused Group Discussion
Fri - Self-Directed Learner Meeting

Can feel drained at times...

The more busy you are, the busier you get?

2008-08-25T19:37:00.002+08:00

不知为什么，只要是我在华乐团值勤的那一天，工作一定特别多。
0730－0830：给中一学生上武侠小说课，选了《倚天屠龙记》六大门派攻打光明顶，张无忌与空性过招的精彩情节。
0830－0930：结束了中三普通学术的课本，同时开始复习课文词汇。
0930－1050：赶紧买了一盒炒米粉，回到会议室边吃边值勤，确保有足够老师监考母语考试，同时也上去礼堂做座位安排。
1050－1100：回到会议室，本想改完迟交的作文并输入分数，但时间根本不足。
1100－1220：回到礼堂监考，结束今天的母语考试。
1220－1240：把卷子拿回会议室，并且赶紧吃午餐。
1240－1300：处理纪律问题。
1300－1430：为中三普通学术学生进行补课。
1430－1500：'O' 水准英文口试监考官
1500－1730：终于回到办公桌，阅读兼清理电邮，整理一些文件。
1730－1816：结束华乐团练习，与职委谈谈时间分配。
1816－1910：搭巴士回到武吉巴督，买早点，拖着脚步回家。

怎一个累字了得！

Long Awaited Updates... Feast!

2008-08-11T19:58:00.004+08:00

I know, many have been clamouring for an update in my blog, and it has been indeed a long time since my last update. I guess I will just post some stuff on today's happenings... and then recall past events in future updates.

A potluck feast had been planned today, and the theme was Traditional Dialect Cuisine. Attendance was good, a total of 14 people (spouses included) turned up for the event, namely
1. Mr Q
2. Ms S (organiser)
3. Mrs L + hubby
4. Mrs L + hubby
5. Ms L
6. Mr S
7. Mrs L
8. Ms T
9. Ms N
10. Mr L
11. Mrs C + hubby (host)

Now the menu (loosely translated):
1. Popiah (Hokkien) + Kueh Pie Tee (Peranakan)
2. Longevity Noodles (Henghua)
3. Fishball & Meat dumpling (Fuchow aka Foochow)
4. Beancurd skin soup - dessert (Cantonese)
5. Yam Paste aka "Or Ni" (Teochew)
6. Braised Pork Bun aka Kong Ba Bao (Hokkien)
7. Chicken Lemak (Peranakan)
8. Yam balls with assorted ingredients - Suan Pan Zi (Hakka)
9. Konyaku Jelly
10. Fruits
11. Chinese Tea, Ribena, Ice Apple Tea, Ice Green Tea

Needless to say, we all ate until we couldn't eat anymore, but the consensus was "Good Food"! Thus, I am contemplating the next session to be 1 for making jiaozi (soup dumpling from Northern China) or for making tangyuan (glutinous rice ball dumpling)!

After lunch, the group spilt into 2, with 7 of us playing the card games Saboteur and Citadels, enjoying ourselves till 6pm. Ah, time flies when you are occupied... before I end, I would like to offer our thanks to our parents who have been quietly supporting us, for without them, our potluck gathering would not have such a spread of dishes!

已经好久没有上网更新我的博客，也是时候写些东西，不然记忆将随风而逝……

今天好难得，安排了一个聚餐，而主题是上回所讨论的“籍贯传统菜肴”。值得庆幸的是大部分的人都很配合，而也有一共14人出席今天的聚餐。出席者包括数学老师、历史老师、华文老师、物理老师、化学老师、英文老师以及家属。今天的菜肴包括：

一、薄饼（福建）＋Kueh Pie Tee （娘惹）
二、寿面（兴化）
三、福州鱼丸与燕皮（福州）
四、腐竹甜汤（广东甜品）
五、竽泥（潮州）
六、2种扣肉包（闷及腌＋卤）（福建）
七、香辣鸡（娘惹）
八、算盘子（客家）
九、果冻
十、水果
十一、中国茶／利宾纳／苹果茶／绿茶

这么多美食在眼前，大家胃口大开，而且都吃得很撑。在饱食一顿之后，大家的评语是：“赞”！因此，我顿时萌生念头，建议大家在下一轮的聚餐一起做中国北方的饺子或一起撮汤圆来吃。

饭后我们分为2组，其中7位年轻人的娱性节目就是玩牌。（不是你们想象的扑克牌！）仅仅玩了4轮的牌，就玩到傍晚6点，也是大家告别的时候。这次的聚餐算是非常成功，但我们都得感谢在幕后默默支持我们的父母，因为没有他们，我们的聚餐也不会那么丰盛！

Metamorphosis 2007

2008-03-21T12:14:00.006+08:00

28th July - Metamorphosis

"Metamorphosis" was a concert to showcase all our talents in the performing arts. As the school had a bountiful harvest of awards for performing arts, we thought it would be a good platform to let the students perform and share it with their family, friends and the school. Preparations got underway in March, and we later decided that the concert takings could go to the school building fund as well. Needless to say, there was a lot to be done, but we perserved and managed to put up a good show. Even staff from other schools in our cluster came down to support us and complimented on our ability to put up a show of this scale.

Pictures will tell thousands of words, so here goes:

Our soloist, Wang Qing and percussion-cum-yangqin instructor, Mr Casey Ng

Needless to say, teachers also came into the picture...

Of course, we musn't forget the fun moments...

or the beautiful memories that we keep...

Graduating members of BBSS Chinese Orchestra 2007

Racial Harmony Day 2007

2008-03-16T14:36:00.008+08:00

This is the first time we are celebrating Racial Harmony Day in the holding site, and sadly, not all the students appreciate the chance to dress up and take photos to remember their friends and schooling days.

Naturally, some of the teachers also came in their finest. Unfortunately, there was limited time and we could only capture some of them on film.

Some students from my 2N2 wore costumes to school, so a photo-taking session is needed to capture the best moments before the chance slips away!

I would say other than graduation night, Racial Harmony Day is the other perfect opportunity to take photographs with students in all sorts of costume, for they leave beautiful memories, capturing some good moments in life. Do miss a number of our former students...

Sec 2 Subject Selection Exercise Briefing

2008-03-16T14:11:00.002+08:00

In 2007, Sec 2 Subject Selection Exercise (formerly known as Sec 2 Streaming) took place online, with the students logging online to indicate their choice of subjects, then getting a verification slip for parents to acknowledge. Students were given a printed handout with step-by-step instructions on how to log on and the whole process went relatively smoothly.
It is hoped that based on students' academic performance, they will be allocated to subjects that they could do well in, not subjects that they like or dislike. Ultimately, getting good results in 'O' levels and going on to a desirable course in a good institution is definitely more important than just joining good friends in the same class or taking too big a bite for one's own good.

SYF Chinese Orchestra Presentation

2008-03-16T13:36:00.003+08:00

10th July was the Chinese Orchestra Presentation. As usual, tickets were hard to get. This year, things are a little different because a number of our students were nominated to perform at the presentation, which was quite an honour and pleasant surprise. Despite our best efforts, I could only get a handful of tickets. Nonetheless, we went to support our members and take a look at the performance of renowned orchestras.

Present at the concert were of course, the winners of the Gold (Honours) Award for SYF, namely
1) Dunman High School - "Ode to the Tangerine Tree" 《橘颂》－屈原赋之一
2) Hwa Chong Institution - "Return of Spring"　《大地回春》
3) Pasir Ris Secondary - "A Va Mountain"　《阿佤山》
4) Temasek Junior College - "A Glimpse of Taklamakan, Op.38 Second Movement - Mirage"　《塔克拉玛干掠影》（作品38号）第二乐章－漠楼
5) Nanyang Girls' High School - "Jasmine Flower"《茉莉花》

The highlight of this year's concert is actually a combined Secondary Schools Orchestra and a combined Junior Colleges Orchestra comprising of the best selected members from the participating schools.

6) Combined Secondary School - "Spring by the Yi River"《春到沂河》
- "Winds Cresenti"《渐快的凉风》
7) Secondary School & JC Ensemble (Percussion & Woodwind) - "The General's Command"《将军令》
8) Combined JC - "The Great Verdigris Bell"《绣绿的洪钟》

Although the pieces performed were difficult, they didn't leave a lasting impression on me then. The pieces chosen by the various schools were not hot favourites for most concerts, and were pretty lengthy. There is no doubt the schools which chose to perform the songs were high in standards, but if we are to reach out to the masses, I feel that difficult pieces which had interesting styles of performance or highlight some performing techniques of certain instruments might have been more well-received. Some of the pieces were indeed majestic and full of grandeur, but I guess they're simply not my cup of tea.
Whatever the quality of experience, I do hope that our members have broaden their horizons and were inspired to do even better, not only in performing in an orchestra, but also to be aware that there are many out there striving for excellence, and they should do their best and feel proud of their efforts.

SYF Instrumental Ensemble

2007-07-08T21:55:00.000+08:00

I went to watch the SYF Instrumental Ensemble last Tues, expecting a fiesta of various instruments. I was glad to have attended the event. Although my friend had expressed his worries that the 2nd half of the show would be more disorganised than the 1st, I beg to differ. I felt the 2nd half had more interesting programmes lined up compared to the first.

These are what I felt to be the highlights of the entire concert:
1) Lap Harp by Nan Hua High School
There aren't many such ensemble around, and I don't hear it often.
2) Angklung/Kulintang by Siglap Sec.
First time seeing a Kulintang. The members were most sporting by swaying to the rythmn. Gives a very good overall feel to the pieces when you see all members swaying and shaking the angklungs. Also saw the conducting of such a group in detail for the first time. There was also a mimicry of a frog croaking in the song "Janger Bali". Interesting.
3) Gamelan by Evergreen Sec.
The melody of the gamelan may be repeated at various parts of a piece, but it's the coordination of the players (who are seated facing different directions) and the hypnotising effect of the music. There were also 6 dancers who danced to the tune of the song, improving the overall presentation. Very enjoyable.
4) Handbells & Handchimes by Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School.
First time hearing them perform. Truly worthy of their gold with honours. The playing of different bells and chimes throughout the whole song and players having to swap bells without mistake was already well done. The songs chosen were also wonderful, especially the piece "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Added quite a bit of fun factor into an already wonderful performance.
5) Guzheng by Xinmin Sec.
My most favourite Chinese Orchestra instrument coupled with my favourite piece "Dance of the Yao Tribe". Need I say more? Although the effect when played by a guzheng ensemble and combined orchestra is very different, looking at 40 odd young guzheng players and listening to them playing Orchestra pieces is already a heartening experience.

It was wonderful that I managed to secure tickets for this Ensemble performance, and I will be looking forward to future performances as well. Many thanks to my friend who was nice enough to offer his help in his already hectic schedule. A concert well done, my friend! :)

July

2007-07-08T21:04:00.000+08:00

A former student was asking what I was busy with. Well, here goes...
29th Jun: Discipline Workshop Part 1, SYF Opening Ceremony
3rd Jul: SYF Instrumental Ensemble
4th Jul: School Marketing Committee Meeting
5th Jul: Sec 2 Faculty Meeting
6th Jul: Discipline Workshop Part 2
10th Jul: SMC Meeting, SYF CO Presentation
11th Jul: Meeting for Metamorphosis Teachers-in-charge
13th Jul: Sec 2 Faculty Assembly
14th Jul: Technical Rehearsal of Metamorphosis
17th Jul: SMC Meeting, Sec 2 Subject Selection Exercise Briefing
20th Jul: Racial Harmony Day
21st Jul: Full Dress Rehearsal for Metamorphosis
28th Jul: Metamorphosis
Late Jul: Sinapore Poly Open House for Sec 2
and all these are on top of setting class test 3, CA 2, marking of daily work, preparing of lessons, running of CCA. I think my stock of chicken essence is not helping at all...

Movie Sequels

2007-07-02T22:24:00.000+08:00

This year seems to be a year of movie sequels, especially episode 3. There was Spiderman 3, Pirates 3, Shrek 3 and there was also Fantastic 4 sequel and the fifth part of Harry Potter.

I guess movie watching isn't really a regular activity of mine, beacause I missed watching Spiderman 2 (I didn't even catch the entire film on tv!) and didn't bother with Pirates 2. As for Shrek, I didn't complete Shrek 1, missed out Shrek 2 and will not bother with Shrek 3. With a busy July schedule and most of my friends having watched F4 sequel, I think I'll just settle for a DVD compilation when it arrives. Harry Potter is another story. Having watched all 4 movies and the theatrical trailer of the movie, I would want to catch the fifth part of the story. The trailer speaks for itself, so I shall go no further.

Something fresh this year is the release of Transformers the movie. Transformers was a series of cartoons (3 seasons) in the 80s with a 2hr long cartoon movie. People who were born in the 70s & early 80s would have known about this cartoon series while those from the 90s will only know Beast Wars or Armada. "Transformers" actually tells a story of 2 groups of shape-changing robots fighting against one another. The autobots are the good guys, and mainly take the form of cars and other land vehicles. Decepticons are the bad guys, and most of them are planes or able to fly. In the cartoon, some of the transformers could actually combine to form a bigger and more powerful robot.

Things are much simpler in the movie, probably because it is an adaptation of the cartoon. Hardcore fans of the cartoon series will be disappointed at the differences, but the action of the movie is something worth watching. I'm sure after watching, audiences new to Transformers will join the ranks of the fan club as well. The only thing I have to complain is that the fighting scenes were too fast. Within moments of contact, someone would just be destroyed without clearing seeing who did what. For those interested to know more about Transformers

Trailer of Transformers

A cool song but not the theme song of the movie

Singapore Youth Festival

2007-06-30T09:14:00.000+08:00

Have attended the SYF Opening Ceremony last evening and watched a gala of vibrant colours and music. SYF does showcase the best of Dances and the vitality and energy found in our youths. Looking at the performances, much work must have gone into the planning, the rehearsing so as to make the whole ceremony a smooth and successful one.

Sometimes, I wonder. Given so many talents in Dances, Choir, Musical Instruments Ensemble, Bands and Orchestras, why do we still lack people in the arts? Is the SYF Central Judging in Primary and Secondary Schools just a fleeting glimpse of what our youths can achieve, and then they fade away into normal Singaporeans? Being a realistic nation of efficient citizens, most Singaporeans feel more secure getting a proper education and paper qualifications. Seldom do you see anyone "straying" off to develop their artistic talents. Sigh.

I must admit that much energy and time is devoted to every single preparation for SYF. Sometimes, we are torn between letting students spend more time to rehearse and spending more time to just study for their 'O' Levels. For some students, it maybe the one and only chance for them to be ever on stage to perform at their very best. I feel that students should really make the best of their one chance to show themselves that they can achieve greater heights. Sadly, not everyone thinks this way.

With more schools putting emphasis on performing arts, we see more resourcs channelled towards the performing arts CCAs. Hence, a silver or gold award these days are much harder to obtain than say 5-10 years ago. While I wish we can maintain our standard, it's hard not to follow the flow. Only by cultivating the students' interest in the CCA can we hope to motivate them to strive for higher standards while maintaining a strong love for the CCA. Not an easy feat to accomplish.

I feel I am getting old just trying to make everything work. An infusion of new blood would be most timely now...

July

2007-06-30T09:06:00.000+08:00

July aka Term 3 has never been a fantastic time for most teachers, especially Mother Tongue teachers, as so many events happen in July.

Early July: 'O' Level Mother Tongue Oral Exams
Preparations for Metamorphosis (2007 only)
Setting of Common Test 2
Mid July: 'N' Level Mother Tongue Oral Exams
Preparations for Racial Harmony Day
Preparations for National Day/Annual Awards
Preparations for Sec 2 Subject Selection Exercise
Late July: Setting of SA 2
English Oral Exams

Fortunately, I'm not involved in Oral Exmas this year, else I wouldn't know how to pull through this period of time. Now that I'm nursing a sore throat and a blocked/runny nose, July is less likeable to me...

《广岛之恋》

2007-06-28T23:48:00.000+08:00

百听不厌的经典情歌。

《广岛之恋》
张洪量，莫文蔚
词：张洪量　曲：张洪量

你早就该拒绝我　不该放任我的追求
给我渴望的故事　留下丢不掉的名字

时间难倒回　空间已破碎
二十四小时的爱情　是我一生难忘的美丽回忆

越过道德的边境　我们走过爱的禁区
享受幸福的错觉　误解了快乐的意义

是谁太勇敢　说喜欢离别
只要今天不要明天　眼睁睁看着爱从指缝中溜走　还说再见

不够时间好好来爱你　早该停止风流的游戏
愿被你抛弃　就算了解而分离　不愿爱得没有答案结局
不够时间好好来恨你　终于明白恨人不容易
爱恨消失前　用手温暖我的脸
为我证明我曾真心爱过你
爱过你　爱过你
爱过你　爱过你
爱过你　爱过你

李玟之《被爱的女人》

2007-06-28T23:35:00.000+08:00

《被爱的女人》是李玟刚出道不久的经典歌曲。虽然我国国产石欣慧曾唱过这首歌，但我还是觉得李玟的歌声比较有震撼。

《被爱的女人》李玟
词：许常德　曲：郭子

在镜子前面　我是个被爱的女人
他就在门外这个周末　我可以依赖在他的胸怀
在情人面前　我还是单身的女人
爱若缺了缘份　我想我只能　用情至深　但不能太认真
为什么被爱　有时却觉得悲哀
为什么我　还是害怕　一个人醒来
为什么相爱　日子却仍然空白
为什么你　走不到我的未来

让爱固定下来　我不会永远青春可爱
我的美丽要你的温柔　帮我保留下来
让爱固定下来　我和你不要不要分开
我不要爱一再一再彩排　
我不是每次失恋后　都能重新再来
我不是每次失恋后　都能重新再来

李玟之《月光爱人》

2007-06-28T23:33:00.000+08:00

我喜欢的一首歌：电影《卧虎藏龙》的主题曲《月光爱人》

《月光爱人》　李玟
我醒来　睡在月光里　下弦月　让我想你
不想醒过来　谁明白　怕眼睁开　你不在

爱人心　沈如海　带我去　把它找回来
请爱我　一万年　用心爱
我愿为爱沉睡　别醒来

永恒哪　在不在　怪我的心　放不开
北极星　带我走　别躲藏　把爱找出来
我爱你　每一夜　我等待　我的心
为了爱　睡在月之海
孤单的我　想念谁　谁明白
等待真心人把我吻醒
我愿为了爱沉睡　到永远

I am alive!

2007-06-25T22:39:00.000+08:00

As you would have read, I went for my overseas reservist in Taiwan. This time round, the exercise area is in the south, which is relatively new to me despite it being my 3rd time in Taiwan for military exercise. We were hit by a cold front and experienced rain while on the way to the exercise area. Knowing how stressed everyone back in orchestra would be, I took the trouble to order a bouquet of flowers before my departure. It was meant to arrive in school on the eve of SYF, so that I could convey my well-wishes. Together with the talk we had, I'm sure the orchestra members would be motivated to do their best.

Some students would have noticed a scar on my left forehead. Yeah, I actually got it from my reservist in Taiwan. In fact, it happened just 2 days after SYF. A civilian car crashed into the vehicle I was travelling in. As I was in the rear seat without any seat belt to secure me, I was thrown off balance and hit my forehead, resulting in 8 stitches and a scar. Now I'm the Harry Potter of BBSS, save without the flying broomstick, good looks, nor cool-looking wizard robes. (I do have a wand though). I'm just lucky to be alive an relatively unscathed.

Misfortune aside, this reservist also gave me a chance to study the city of Gaoxiong in southern Taiwan. Towards the end of the exercise, we were allowed to go to nearby towns to tour around. We came to a Taiwan diving beach resort area and patronise the stalls along the road. The kebabs were fabulous! For a small sum of NT$10, you get to enjoy 3 types of grilled kebabs! I choose beef, mutton & pork. Still miss the taste of it now!

The Taiwanese are pretty innovative when it comes to design and tastes. Here, you see a car being converted into a mobile stall which sells fishballs, fishcakes, rice cakes and stuff cooked in soup. The stall looks pretty ingenious and manage to contain all the necessary stuff for selling the food.
They have also stapled 3 mini cups to a big cup so that you can hold everything in 1 hand and savour the food in the other. Fascinating! The food looked tasty, but I was on a tight budget, so didn't try them out. Sigh, am still regretting my decision now.

I also had the chance to cross Gaoxiong's biggest river: Ai He (River of Love). Reminds me of Singapore river with all the commercial buildings on both sides of the river.

Next, I visited the night market in Gaoxiong. Night markets are a culture in Taiwan, and Gaoxiong alone has 5 of them. Over there, you see stalls after stalls of food, and some other accessories, clothes, souvenirs. Ever willing to sample good food, I visited stall after stall to try out various stuff.

Let me recall: Shanghai Dumplings, Fochow Pepper Ovenbaked Bun, Meat Ball, Oyster Mee Suah, Deep Fried Ice Cream and Passion Fruit Green Bubble Tea with Pearls.

Attention: The next few pictures mainly depict what I see, not exactly what I eat. The “七里香” you see in the picture is actually parson's nose, or grilled chicken backside. Taiwanese regard it as a grilled delicacy.

Being a region with Chinese as the majority, Carrefour in Gaoxiong has far greater things in terms of variety. Imagine you can buy braised pig trotters and cold spicy seaweed and hot tau pok there!

Taiwanese are also very environmental conscious, as they always use special bags in supermarkets. Convenience shops charge for getting paper bags and all rubbish is sorted into plastic, metal, paper and glass. Apparently, Singapore still has a long way to go!

Finally, home sweet home.

Return of the ( )

2007-06-25T21:57:00.000+08:00

Yes, it's been a long while and people are probably wondering if I'm still alive and existing on Earth. Well, it's been a hectic 3 months.

Late March: Trying to cover as much syllabus as I can before reservist
Making preparations for SYF 2007
Helping out in External Validation
Setting Class Test 2 & SA 1 for Term 2
Planning the lessons for most of Term 2 when I'm not around

26th Mar - 18th Apr: Reservist

19th Apr - 26th Apr: Revision for SA 1 & clearing up assignments not given or marked yet
Final preparations for Post Exam Activities

27th Apr - 9th May: SA 1

10th, 11th May: Post Exam Activities cum marking
Sorting out Chinese Orchestra inventory

14th May - 18th May: Going through questions and finally returning scripts
Packing Chinese Orchestra instruments
Cooking at home, grocery shopping (I'm the cook coz Dad overseas)

21st May - 25th May: Overseeing moving of Chinese Orchestra instruments
Starting to pack my stuff
Faculty Assembly
Preparations for Parents-Teachers Meeting
National Library Visit for School Leaders
(Yes, I'm still the cook)

28th May - 1st Jun: Move my items over to Toh Tuck Campus
(Reluctantly hand kitchen & car back to Dad. Sigh!)

4th Jun - 13th Jun: Marking of Jun 'O' Level Chinese Language Paper

14th Jun - 15th Jun: Unpacking Chinese Orchestra stuff & arranging inventory in storeroom
Starting to unpack personal stuff

18th Jun - 22nd Jun: Sec 2 Subject Selection Exercise Draft
SMC Meeting & Deans' Meeting
HOD Symposium
Staff Contact Time, Department Meeting (last min!), Music Camp Concert
Unpacking 70% of my stuff and preparations for Term 3

Err..... did I mention school holidays?

Snacking & Blogging

2007-03-19T23:07:00.000+08:00

Students who know me well enough know that I have a sweet tooth (though I don't eat a lot of sweets often, but I do enjoy sweet stuff) and love to snack. Challenge is to maintain a healthy BMI and keep fit while enjoying some sinful snacks.

Students who walk past the tables outside the staff room will notice that I tend to "hang" out at the tabels with snacks/food to do marking these days. Well, when that happens, it is a clear indication that I am prepared to do quite a big load of marking or that marking the work will be very tedious. Yes, I will need to snack once in a while when I feel stressed marking.

Some people will also look at the frequency and timing which I blog. Since my blog tends to be pretty wordy, I am sure some readers out there will feel that I have so much free time to blog, or that I simply eat away my resting hours to waste time blogging. Well, a careful reader will note that when I blog later at night, it's usually because I need to speak my mind, vent my frustrations or take my mind off things for a while. Sure, it is not as theraputic as driving a car on the expressway at night, but at least it's an outlet for me to vent my frustrations.

Now that I have blogged, it's time to go back to my work. Now where is the button that reverses time? Hmmm...

Killer Beans

2007-03-14T10:21:00.000+08:00

Came across this funny video on youtube, hope it brings fun and laughter to those who watch it.

Sparring Partner

2007-03-12T10:08:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, I wish I have a good sparring partner. Why not put what I have learnt about taiji to the test and get myself a physical workout at the same time? Unfortunately, things are not as easy as they look.

Firstly, the sparring partner has to be a male (obviously). He should also have learnt some form of martial arts/wushu/ self defence skills and should be around my height and weight. And most importantly, he is interested to improve himself as well through sparring! I long for the day when I master 推手 and spar regularly with the buddy and find myself improving.

In other aspects of life, we all need "sparring partners". True friends who will spur us on, who will motivate us to push ourselves beyond our limits and not give up. Such people are hard to find, and definitely worth keeping. Also, they will be the best people to tell us our short-comings and mistakes so that we can continue to improve ourselves.

March Break

2007-03-12T10:03:00.000+08:00

This is the term 1 break. The time after term 1 where we all break. (pun intended, for all those wols people out there...)

Mon: Drop by to open CO store early. Marking.
Tue: Finalised a survey form format with colleague. Plan SYF arrangements. Meeting in the afternoon.
Wed: Taiji, File check, Marking, Swimming, Buffet Dinner
Thur: Taiji, Chasing students for work, marking late submission. CO practice.
Fri: Taiji, Sourcing for house-warming gift, Lunch Appointment, Attend Band Concert
Sat: Taiji, CO, IPPT, Dinner Appointment
Sun: Taiji, Rest and recuperate.

SYF! It's fixed on 3rd April 2007!

2007-03-07T22:09:00.000+08:00

Yes, I went for the balloting today and got the FIRST slot on 3rd April, which means the orchestra must report to Singapore Conference Hall by 8am, which means the whole orchestra must reach school by 6am and leave school by 7am. The only consolation we get is that there are no gold award schools before us, so the judges will listen to us with a fresh mind. Not forgetting our dear Bukit Panjang High School, who is also playing but 2 schools later than us. So we get to hear both schools' result before we head back to school.

As I will be away in Taiwan for reservist training, Mrs Lim will be the overall-in-charge for this year's SYF Central Judging. She will need 10 helpers to help carry the instruments and adjust the chairs and stuff on stage.

Protege

2007-03-04T16:29:00.000+08:00

No, I am not referring to the dark movie starring Andy Lau, Louis Koo and Daniel Woo.

Protege: a person who is guided and helped by someone of influence or power. (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

I have always wanted to keep a protege. That was partly the reason why I joined teaching in the first place, to pass what knowledge I have to someone else so that they are not lost when I am no longer around. Let me attempt to list what are the things I would like to be passed on:

1) 4 Sets of Taiji Quan, 2 Sets of Fan, 4 Sets of Taiji Swordplay
2) Passion for and knowledge of Romance of the 3 Kingdoms
3) Passion for learning more about ancient Chinese History and Literature
4) Passion for and knowledge of History of Medieval Europe
5) Repertoire of traditional Chinese dishes (Am still accumulating experience and knowledge)
6) Knowledge of animal behaviour and interest in conservation efforts
7) Knowledge of and interest in ancient Chinese warfare strategems
8) Knowledge of and interest in Lord of the Rings
9) Passion for books of the Fantasy genre
10) Interest in Geomancy, Chinese Martial Arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine
11) Interest in Languages (Latin, Russian, French, Italian, Spainish, German) (not that I know most of them, it's the interest that counts!)
12) Knowledge of Mythologies (Chinese, Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian)

Now, what is the critieria to be my protege?
1) Interest in Chinese History, Culture, Martial Arts and Literature
2) Good command of Chinese Language and English Language
3) Interest in histories and mythologies of ancient civilisations
4) At least 1.74m and not weighing more than 70kg (to execute spectacular taiji moves)
5) Not older than me (all that I know has been accumulated throughout the years, so he will need to do some catching up. One has to have a good foundation in languages since young)
6) As good looking or better looking than me (well, packaging is very important nowadays!)
7) Good character (no master will ever keep a despicable disciple)

Volunteers anyone?

Lousy, Tired and Sad

2007-02-27T22:45:00.000+08:00

It's been quite a while since the last blog entry. Needless to say, most of the Lunar New Year holidays were spent on visiting relatives. Then back to relentless work, then steamboat with colleagues on Saturday and hosting 2 groups of former students on Sunday. Yes it was delightful to see so many familiar faces but too many things have been packed into too little time. My workstation in school remains messy as ever. Having difficult classes to teach isn't easy-going for me even with a reduced marking load. The reluctance of students to even do proper learning is enough to make anyone feel defeated.

Having a good sleep and waking up fresh sounds more like a dream than a reality to me. Even when my body is at rest, the mind refuses to stop and I wake up more a zombie than a human the next morning. Now, I begin to wonder if I should be on a You-Mei-Sho drip.

I have lost a couple of things these days. First of all, my black fan which I use for my taiji fan practices. Seems that it has disappeared into thin air after my Lunar New Year Celebrations Concert. Then my favourite Australian hamaetite ring gave way after I repeatedly slammed my palm on my marble floor. Although Jingyi was thoughtful to fix it for me, the ring refused to stay mended and I am now left with a fraction of the ring. Then, I have gotten wind that some orchestra members chose to skip practice for common test. If only they had been so serious during normal lessons, I would have supported their decision. However, those who were contemplating or actually guilty of the charges are those least serious in practice or schoolwork. So they don't deserve my understanding nor my forgiveness. Please lor, if you can't even handle 1 test per day, then don't convince me you can cope with 2 O level papers in 1 day! What a poor example of a stupid reason! Since the common tests will be over by Friday, let me turn on to SYF mode and proceed with intensive training sessions.

Visiting 101

2007-02-19T10:03:00.000+08:00

This is the time of the year where people go around visiting their friends and relatives, but some "rules" have to be observed during these visits, so I thought it would be best to share them here.

When visiting a friend's/relative's/teacher's house,
1) Greet all elders in the house. It is basic courtesy to greet people when visiting other people's house. At least a generic "uncle" or "auntie" for elders and "gorgor" or "zehzeh" for older siblings.

2) Wash your feet in the laundry area or toilet if you don't wear socks or have taken them off. The perspiration from our soles will make the floor sticky, so do keep our feet clean so that everyone is comfortable.

3) Stay in the living room. Only treasure hunters and thieves roam around the house immediately. Enter other rooms only on invitation, don't wander around yourself and invade other people's privacy.

4) Treat the place as a museum. Don't touch anything that belongs to others unless given permission. What is worse than spoiling other people's personal items?

5) Beds are for sleeping. Don't sit, jump, lie on your host's bed as that is for them to sleep, not for you to play on.

6) Clean up after visit. Always help the host to restore the furniture back to their original places, clean up the area and throw away the rubbish before you leave!

7) Thank the host for inviting you. This is so that everyone will continue to invite you year after year!

By following the 7 pointers mentioned above, it will prevent a lot of unecessary unhappiness and let everyone enjoy the festive season. :)

Happy Lunar New Year

2007-02-17T23:50:00.000+08:00

The New Year is just a few minutes away, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish all students a very Happy Lunar New Year. May all of them do well in all their subjects.

Also, despite me not being able to support my orchestra during the SYF Central Judging this year, I do hope they will try their best to aim for a silver award or better.

Finally, I would like to wish all of my friends and relatives good health and a smooth year ahead!

再过几分钟就要迎接新的一年了，在此祝愿所有学生新年快乐，学业进步。

同时也祝愿我的华乐团能够竭尽所能，在这次的青年节比赛中赢得银牌。

最后要祝所有亲友身体健康，万事如意！

愿大家心想事成！

Lunar New Year Celebrations

2007-02-17T23:00:00.000+08:00

After much sweat and agony and courage, we managed to put up a decent Lunar New Year concert item. I must appluad those students who stuck with me till the end. I am proud to say that despite the lack of time to prepare for the item, they did pretty well on stage. Judging by the comments and cheers from the audience, I can say the shaolin martial arts segment was well received by the school.

I must also thank students for suggesting that I use Jay Chou's song for the item. Though some people feel that the tempo of the song was too fast for a taiji display, I thought it was good to play a song which the students were familiar with, is related to martial arts and have a distinctive Chinese flavour. The student performers cheered loudly and it seemed that the lower sec classes were more sporty and enjoyed the item. If I insisted on using the original music, the item would have been much slower and not so interesting. Although it was physically tiring for me, I must say that I was quite successful in capturing the audience attention and that Taiji can be quite hip. :) I know some students might think that I was holding back my smile, but I was actually smiling from the loud cheers from the student performers whenever the chorus was played. It was reassuring and delightful to hear the audience shouting the chorus in unison when I was executing all the moves. Maybe I should start a wushu enrichment in school...

经过一番辛劳，我校的春节庆祝活动顺利举行。尽管学生只有3次练习，我觉得他们在台上的表现还是值得鼓励的。至少他们提起勇气，认真地在台上把少林通臂拳打完。我想他们也应该为自己的努力感到骄傲，因为节目受到观众热烈的欢呼和好评。就因为他们能够坚持到底，我才会决定和他们同台演出，支持他们。

我也要感谢学生建议我用周杰伦的《霍元甲》作为配乐。虽然一些人认为《霍元甲》的快节奏与动作缓慢的太极拳格格不入，我还是坚持决定，因为《霍元甲》是学生熟悉的流行歌曲，歌曲包括不少华乐配乐，又让观众对太极拳改观，真是一举多得。42式太极拳原本需要7分多钟才能打完，但我仅仅用了4分多就完成。虽然体力消耗得快，但听到学生的掌声和“霍霍霍霍霍霍霍霍”，我还是觉得一切是值得的。有学生以为我是强忍笑声。其实在听到那班学生在为我呐喊助兴，我感到很开心，心情也没那么紧张了。或许我该考虑在学校办一个武术课程……

Rehearsals for Lunar New Year Celebrations

2007-02-13T20:53:00.000+08:00

There will be a rehearsal for all performers for Lunar New Year Celebrations. It will be held at the hall from 2:30pm onwards.

For those who were sick in China when the rest were learning Shaolin Martial Arts, you guys will be required to find out about 通臂拳and introduce it to the school.

On the actual day, there will be 2 celebrations:
0730 - 0900: Lower Sec Celebrations, Upper Sec Class Party /Lesson
0915 - 1045: Upper Sec Celebrations, Lower Sec Class Party
1045 - 1100: Cleanup, dismissal by Dean/DM

With barely a week to refresh memories, train with the music, it is quite difficult to put up a decent performance. Maybe the one who WANTED the performance should personally take charge instead. I am personally not happy with the short time to prepare for so many things.

GCE 'O' Level Results

2007-02-10T09:52:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was the release of the 'O' Level results. Our school has done quite well, and the Mother Tongue Department has not only maintained, but improved the performance of the students. We have a significant group of students who did well, scoring 5 As, 6As, 7As and even 8As. Well done to all the graduates of BBSS!

This marks the end of Secondary School education for them and the beginning of another phase in life. Best wishes to all and do hope to see them coming back to visit us often!

The Countdown Begins!

2007-02-10T09:42:00.000+08:00

Now that we are all prepared to put up a show on Lunar New Year Celebrations, here's what was being briefed to all involved:

Practice Timings: Mon & Tue 3:30 - 4:30pm
Rehearsal Timing: Wed (prob 3:30pm onwards)
Items to bring: PE/sports attire (for practice)
Shaolin Tshirt & PE shorts (for actual performance)

We need to:
1) Refresh our memories of the movements
2) Co-ordinate our movements with the music I found
3) Co-ordinate our performance with PA/AVA crew
4) Familiarise with the stage, entering & exiting the stage
5) Allocate positions for all involved

CNY Celebrations (16/2/07, Fri)
0730 - 0900: Upper Sec Celebrations, Lower Sec Class Party
0900 - 1030: Lower Sec Celebrations, Upper Sec Class Party
1030 - 1100: Clean Up, Dismissal only after Deans/DM has checked and give clearance

The Edict has been issued!

2007-02-08T21:07:00.000+08:00

圣旨已经传达下来了。正如我所料，去年参与中国之旅的学生必须将所学的少林拳搬上舞台与全校分享。所谓：“是福不是祸，是祸躲不过”。我早在去年就已经让他们做好心里准备，不要以为随便学学就算了。因为在出发之前，意思已经很清楚传达给他们，所以这次新春表演是势在必行。既然要做，就做得最好。既然要表演，就认真对待，让别人看了赞叹，而不是觉得自己上台很丢脸。要知道，如果这一点点演出都觉得丢脸，要不就是自己当初没有认真学习，要不就是唾弃自己的丰富文化精华。

不管别人怎么说，怎么嫌弃，只要自己尽力做得最好，那我一定全力支持到底！

The imperial edict has been issued. As expected, those who went for the China Cultural Trip last year are required to put up a performance to share what they learnt about shaolin fists with the school. Knowing it to be inevitable, I have put the point across clearly to those who went. Also, our leader made it known before departure that they would be required to perform what they have learnt, so this news should not come as a surprise to anyone at all. Since the task has been set, we should aim to do our best. Do it once, do it good, and get it over and done with. The worst type of mentality is to think that it's a disgrace to perform. Why? Because such an answer will mean that the student didn't take the experience seriously or was looking down at the rich culture and heritage. If you do your best and put up a good performance, who would be looking down at you?

Regardless of what others may say, I will only say I will give my fullest support to all performers as long as they are determined to do a good one!

I have lost 4kg in 3 days!

2007-02-07T22:34:00.000+08:00

Sounds like a Marie France advertisement, doesn't it? Well, that is what it appears to be. After a prolonged 2 weeks of poor appetite and digestion, my gastric flu came back to haunt me again from Saturday (3rd Feb) till Monday (5th Feb). For reasons unknown to me, I have been getting less of those colds & flu which causes runny or blocked noses, but more of gastric flu where diahorrea and/or vomitting is common. Either the viruses have found new ways to attack human bodies or that my immune system weakened when the new year began with a myriad of activities.

In case you don't know what comprises a gastric flu, I will just "share" my experience here.
Poor Digestion
Bloated Feeling (Gas in stomach)
Stomach Churning
Recurring Diahorrea and/or Vomitting
Uncomfortable standing and sitting and lying down
Aching muscles for a brief period of time (a common symptom of flu)
Shivering when environment is not too cold (common symptom of flu)

Things I avoid consuming when having gastric flu:
Oily, fried, spicy, cold food
Big quantities of food/drinks
All diary products (yoghurt, milk, cheese, ice-cream, etc)

After abstaining from food for a quite a while, it is not a miracle that I lost weight. However, weight loss does not equal to fat loss, as not all fats are used up even if you do not eat anything, so this is never a healthy way of losing weight. In fact, I am concerned that I may have lost more muscles than fats after this recurring sickness of mine.

In short, a clean slate of good health is the most important asset we possess. I do not claim to be knowledgable even after repeated bouts of gastric flu, only to share the experience so that others may learn to take care of their health better than to suffer this similar predicament.

May all out there eat well, rest well and live well during this Lunar New Year festivities...

Brooding Nights

2007-02-02T22:50:00.000+08:00

With daily mental exertions and long days, one will feel lethargic. The common sense is to retire to your bed, but the reluctance to rest lingers. Why? There will always be so many things to look forward to, for you have the pace you want to live in, the environment you relax in, and the mood you relish. I do not know about others, but there will always be things I will look forward to doing at night when I am far far away from work. Maybe it is my body telling me to relax and rest.

And thus, out of interests and restlessness, I continue to crave to be a creature of the night even as I combat my fatigue while getting my much needed rest.

Music of the Night

2007-02-02T22:38:00.000+08:00

Just bought the new Evanescence album "The Open Door" not too long ago. Though it feels almost like the previous album "Fallen" I still bought it nonetheless. Perhaps I just find the dark and heavy melody reassuring and familiar. Such music portrays a dark and brooding atmosphere, and I liken that to vampires stalking the night. Maybe I was listening to a lot of Evanscence music when I started learning to play my Vampire Counts Army, and thus my brain connects the 2 together.

I am no fan of the horror genre, but vampires intrigue me. Not their thirst for blood, but their character so often described in books and movies. One can imagine a lone figure highlighted against the night sky, taking slow steady steps. Treading slowly but purposefully, nothing stirs in their dead, dark hearts. They embrace the long cold nights, maybe out of necessecity than interest. One can only wonder what stirs in their minds as they live from night to night for years, decades, centuries. Damned immortals, they are a bane to life, yet their fates are inevitably tied to all living beings. Ironic?

Ships to starboard side!

2007-02-02T22:32:00.000+08:00

One can hear the bloodcurdling cries from a distance. As you approach the scene, a scene of chaos maximus greets you. Swerving through the waters, one can hardly stay afloat amidst the rolling waves and monstrous vessels flitting to and fro. Gritting your teeth, the best a captain can do is to avoid the monsters of the deep. Still, they charge through the waters in relentless waves. The only respite you will ever get is to leave the sea of chaos. The only consolation you will get is that others in the waters with you face the same fate. And seeing a familiar face.

Such is the only thing one will experience if you choose to swim in a public pool on a Saturday evening.

Song Lyrics

2007-02-02T22:28:00.000+08:00

最近刚搜索到喜欢的歌词，现与大家分享：

《爱江山更爱美人》李丽芬
词：小虫　曲：小虫

道不尽红尘舍恋　诉不完人间恩怨
世世代代都是缘
流着相同的血　喝着相同的水
这条路漫漫又长远

红花当然配绿叶　这一辈子谁来陪
渺渺茫茫来又回
往日情景再浮现　藕虽断了丝还连
轻叹世界事多变迁

爱江山更爱美人　每个英雄好汉宁愿孤单
好儿郎浑身是胆　壮志豪情四海任名扬
人生短短几个秋啊不醉不罢休
东边儿我的美人儿啊西边儿黄河流
来啊来个酒啊不醉不罢休
愁情烦事别放心头

《广岛之恋》
张洪量，莫文蔚

你早就该拒绝我　不该放任我的追求
给我渴望的故事　留下丢不掉的名字

时间难倒回　空间已破碎
二十四小时的爱情　是我一生难忘的美丽回忆

越过道德的边境　我们走过爱的禁区
享受幸福的错觉　误解了快乐的意义

是谁太勇敢　说喜欢离别
只要今天不要明天　眼睁睁看着爱从指缝中溜走　还说再见

不够时间好好来爱你　早该停止风流的游戏
愿被你抛弃　就算了解而分离　不愿爱得没有答案结局
不够时间好好来恨你　终于明白恨人不容易
爱恨消失前　用手温暖我的脸
为我证明我曾真心爱过你
爱过你　爱过你
爱过你　爱过你爱过你　爱过你

Ice Age

2007-01-30T23:34:00.000+08:00

Singapore's weather has been acting up of late. Regardless of night or day, my air-con remote control tells me the surroundings is 27 degrees! Brrrr.... I thought I would only shiver after a shower in temperate countries, but it is happening now in Singapore. Do hope the weather turns slightly warmer as time goes by. Maybe I have been telling too many cold jokes...

不知怎么的，我国最近的天气变得较冷。无论黑夜或白昼，温度计总是显示27摄氏度。我原以为只有在温带国家洗澡后才会发颤，如今在新加坡也是如此。希望天气会变得暖和些。难道是我的冷笑话在作怪？

Mirror Mirror in My Hand

2007-01-29T21:14:00.000+08:00

今天没收了一名学生的镜子。是的，这个年代的女生喜欢带镜子上学，然后拼命照自己。要是在休息节，或还没上课之前那到也无所谓。这名女生选择在两次的警告之后继续照手中的镜子。为了提醒她我的存在，我坚持没收她的镜子。面子已经给足，她既然不要，那就别怪我不客气。要别人尊敬自己，首先必须先尊重自己。要知道，面子是别人给的，却是自己丢的。

在我眼里，无论是快捷班、普通学术还是普通工艺班，他们都是我的学生。因为只有懒惰和没有礼貌的学生，没有所谓的烂学生。只要学生肯学，我一定会尽力教他们。只怕学生没有心读，到毕业前成绩还是一样差，那神仙也帮不了他们了……

相信我的中二年级已经知道，我要凶，绝对不是难事。我只是觉得没有必要每天骂人，让大家都没有心情学习，又何必呢？只要学生在上课时注意听课，该发表意见的时候轮流说话，不要喊来喊去，功课好好做，准时交，就没问题了。

I confiscated a student's handheld mirror today. Yeap, female students nowadays are very conscious of their looks and keep admiring themselves in the mirror, even in class. Had it been during recess or before the lesson proper, I would have no problems. The very fact that she ignored 2 verbal warnings was enough reason for me to take a firm stand. If she wanted people to respect her, she had to show respect to herself and others first.

Some students may not know, but it doesn't matter which stream the students come from. This is because regardless of Express, Normal Academic or Normal Technical, they are all my students. I firmly believe that there are no poor students, only lazy or rude students. As long as the students are willing to learn, I will try my best to teach all that I know. My only fear is that students ignore their lessons now, only to suffer later when they are about to graduate...

I believe my Sec 2 Faculty should have known by now that I can be terrible when furious. However, it is not my wish to keep getting angry. I prefer students to behave themselves so that both teachers and students can enjoy a fun and meaningful lesson together. Most teachers have very basic requirements: students pay attention in class, talk properly when spoken to and submit their work punctually.

It is snowing where my heart is...

2007-01-29T20:26:00.000+08:00

心里有个结，始终不能打开。
虽然我在去年就已经为华乐管委做好心理准备，今年必须过了七月的音乐晚会才完全卸任，但我得到的反应都是不愿意，甚至不满。当然，他们关心学业，我是应该感到开心。我只是在想学生的热忱似乎有减无增。若要比较，在2003年或之前的团员到了中秋（阳历9月）还得表演。现在的毕业班一旦过了4月就将熟悉的华乐抛之脑后。是归属感不够，还是命太好？
心里肯定会不好受，因为辛辛苦苦栽培了4年，竟然说走就走，有些可能以后再也和华乐毫无瓜葛。难道华乐在他们心目中根本没有一席之地？是我们没有好好培养他们欣赏华乐，还是这一代本来就是如此薄情？和同事谈及此事，大家只有互相叹气摇头。试问我们到底哪里做得不够？

Songs, songs, and more songs!

2007-01-28T15:16:00.000+08:00

As presented in my earlier enties, I have been to 2 trips at the end of 2006, and on both trips, I was made to sing in the coach. Although I am not a superstar, I do have songs which I love to sing. The only problem is that I cannot remember the lyrics to most of the songs I can sing, and that I will go out of tune at times. Well, should I ever be called upon to sing, I do hope students can take note of the songs I like to sing:

1) 《广岛之恋》（莫文蔚，张洪量）(I appreciate if someone can send me the MTV of this song)
2) 孤单的夜里我不孤单（陈伟联）
3) 遍体鳞伤（古皓）(MTV anyone?)
4) 心事谁人知（福建歌，张惠妹演唱会版本）
5) 《爱江山更爱美人》（李丽芬）(MTV anyone?)

I have also noted that I actually prefer songs in the middle octave (not too high, not too low) and those that will require me to "pull" my vocal cords (i.e. 张惠妹，动力火车 songs which usually let the singers "yell"). I guess its kinda theraputic to sing those songs and let out all your frustrations and stress and makes you feel better. The catch is I will need to warm up my vocal cords by singing other non-challenging songs at medicore level before attempting the challenging songs. Also, I will have to rest my vocal cords every now and then as prolong singing of such songs will just make me lose my voice. Actually, I do not have any particular favourite singer, but since there are more female singers out there, I do tend to prefer songs from female singers.

In mid-December 2006, when I was finally enjoying my holidays, I had the chance to go KBox for a singing session with a friend. Since my friend was reluctant to sing, I had the mic to myself for the full 2.5 hours that we were there. It was the first time I could try singing all the songs I wanted, and I had to choose songs while still singing. (Yeah, I am still very amazed at how I was able to multi-task!) In the end, I estimated I sang at least 40 over songs non-stop within a span of 2.5 hours! I was able to sing a large variety of songs from 80s, 90s and songs after 2000, from fast tempos to slow ballads. Also, with the help of the original singer, I can confidently try all the songs I have never sung before. I guess I sing better with the original singer's voice as a guide and without a lot of pressure from onlookers bah. When my 4E1 of 2004 invited me to a chalet on 26th Dec, I was so tempted to join them for a karoke session on 27th, but I had to give it a miss due to meetings.

Now that so many teachers are burdened with work after the term has started, I believe its time for us to go for another singing session soon. Eagerly looking forward to the next chance to sing again, (without being recorded!)

Reflection on Sarawak Trip

2007-01-28T14:15:00.000+08:00

Having completed the Sarawak Trip successfully, I felt there were some key points worth noting. We had managed to achieved our objectives and I believed our orchestra members gained valuable experience from the trip as well:

1) We had helped to raise funds for the local Children's Cancer Association through the sales of the proceeds. The students get to complete many hours of CIP by putting up a Chinese Orchestra performance.

2) Students gained valuable experience. For members new to performing, they have a first hand experience of what it feels like to perform in a public venue in front of so many people. Also, senior musicians were able to provide useful pointers on the performance of our players, helping them to improve their performance skills and boosting their confidence on stage. Our seniors in Keat Hong and the full time musicians were also able to provide feedback on our members, highlighting areas which we teachers should be aware of.

3) We had managed to re-establish the ties forged over a decade ago. Everything is proceeding according to my mid to long term plans of getting our orchestra to perform more frequently in Singapore and overseas. This will give our students a wide exposure and be an incentive for them to improve their performance skills for SYF and concerts.

4) Students get to learn about the lifestyle of the aborigines in Kuching. Even though it is not a Humanities trip, students have learnt about the primary industries of Sarawak, namely the logging industry and growing of pepper as a cash crop. Eco-tourism in the form of trekking and mountaineering in Sarawak and scuba-diving in Sabah is also picking up fast among Singaporeans as both states offer natural scenery in their pristine conditions at affordable prices.

5) With such a big entourage of orchestra members performing in Kuching, we are providing the local Chinese community a rare opportunity to attend a big performance. As such, we are doing our bit to promote Chinese culture and Chinese Orchestra and rejuvenating the local Chinese scene.

Now the big question: Will the orchestra continue to travel overseas after this trip, and where will be the next destination?

I have told the graduating batch in 2005 and I say it again, that all will be based on the overall standard of our orchestra:-
Short term (1-3 yrs): Public performances in Singapore and nearby SE Asian countries (eg. Malaysia)
Mid term (3-5yrs): Public performances in countries where Chinese orchestra is not common (Australia, New Zealand)
Long term (5-10yrs): Public performances in far away countries (China, Europe)

Chinese Orchestra Sarawak Trip 1st Dec - 4th Dec

2007-01-28T11:44:00.000+08:00

It was a very hectic November and December for me. My secondary school classmate was getting married on 30th Nov and I was part of the brothers team. I had to pack my luggage for the Chinese Orchestra Sarawark Trip the very next day. By the time the dinner ended around 11pm, I had to rush back home and pack the last few items.

1st Dec

At 2am on 1st Dec, I woke up after barely 2 hours of sleep and rushed to school. After settling all the details and doing a headcount, we headed to the 2nd link in Tuas to board our flight at Senai Airport, Johor Bahru. To lower the travelling costs for our orchestra members, we had chosen budget airline, which meant a lot of moving and travelling about. However, students only had to pay for a total of $430 (Edusave + Subsidy) rather than $700, which was what the other airlines were charging. We were travelling to the city of Kuching, Sarawak on the invitation from Padungan Youth Movement, a youth wing of the political party in Sarawak. Back in 1990s, our orchestra was also invited to Kuching by the same party and held a successful concert there with the strong support of the local Chinese community and the orchestras. This time, I hope to re-establish the ties we have built the last time round and help our members to clock more CIP hours as the proceeds of the performance will be given to the Children's Cancer Association in Kuching. As Keat Hong Chinese Orchestra from Chua Chu Kang Community Club is also travelling with us, we have an impressive combined strength of 100, not counting the 20 local Chinese musicians from Kuching!

We arrived after 9am in Kuching and were greeted warmly by the local Chinese journalists as it was quite a while since a performance of this scale took place in Kuching. Mr Yong, a former Chinese Orchestra member who participated in the performance on our last visit, is currently managing his father's business and our host this time round. We were brought to a local hawker centre to savour the local delights such as Kuching Mee Siam and Kolo mee (Dried Noodles). I have heard about the noodles early in 2006 when we were planning for the trip and am looking forward to trying out the local delights. For breakfast, I tried the local mee siam and found it to be very different from the Singaporean version. The bee hoon is finer and the gravy more appetising.

After breakfast, we did a tour of the city. According to the guide, Kuching means "Cat City". Stories have it that when Europeans first landed in Sarawak, there were a lot of cats in the town. They approached the locals and asked for the name of the place, pointing to the cat in their arms. Following the pointing finger, the locals answered "Kuching" (for cat). From then on, the name became the name of the town. Kuching is now the 2nd biggest city in Sarawak after the capital, Miri.

After a brief lunch, we proceeded to the Kuching Museum located just beside our hotel. The tour guide gave us an introduction to the original lifestyle of the aborigines. The locals lived in longhouses built from wood and lead simple lives. The instruments used by the locals are somewhat similar to our instruments in that they were either string or woodwind instruments, differing only slightly in design and sound produced.

After the short tour, we began sorting out the instruments to be used for the concert. It seemed that after many years of disuse, some of the instruments of the local orchestra needed much repair. It turned out that the supplies we brought for ourselves were mainly used to repair their instruments! Rehearsal began proper once we sorted out the problems and members of all 3 orchestras had little time to adjust themselves to the new environment and each other. We managed to clear all the pieces by 10pm and retired for the night.

2nd Dec

Despite the long day yesterday, most of the members woke up on time to maximise their shopping time. We walked from our hotel to the riverside where the local bazaar and shopping malls were located. Most of the girls went to the malls to look for good bargains in the fashion boutiques while Mrs Lim, some of the sec 3 seniors and I headed to the local bazaar to look for local produce. The weather was fine and the mood was just right, except that when asked to take photos, our sec 3 seniors were very reluctant. I believe they would be more comfortable in a neoprint squeezing each other than appearing "normal" in an arranged shot.

Regardless, the shot was taken beside Sarawak

river and we proceeded with our shopping. Several of our members took an interest in the local musical instruments and tried them out whilst we were on our way to lunch from the hotel. We had lunch at the same hawker centre again and proceeded to take a big group photo. After lunch, we had a short break and proceeded to the performance venue to make the final preparations for the evening. All the muscians on stage were pretty relaxed just before the concert, which was pretty good given that quite a lot of members had no public performance experience prior to this concert. This public performance will be a very good exposure and experience for our orchestra as they will get to exhange pointers with other musicians and improve on their skills and prepare themselves mentally for SYF Central Judging 2007. From the ticket sales, it was evident that the concert had the strong support of the local Chinese community as it was full house that night. The concert started off with an introduction of the Children's Cancer Association and the usual speeches of the host, followed by an opening ceremony with representatives of all the organisations involved.

Frankly speaking, it was my first experience presiding over such a ceremony on stage, so I had to observe what the rest were doing. Needless to say, there was a lot of news coverage of the event and our photos appeared in the local newspapers 2 days later. The concert went on smoothly and reached its climax at the last piece when the combined orchestra played 《传灯》(translates loosely to "Passing the torch"). The piece was composed by a Singaporean but only widely played in Malaysia among the Chinese community. Ties within the Chinese community were strong as they felt the need to retain their own identity and look after one another. Also, despite the short lyrics, they were meaningful as they conveyed the message of bringing light and hope to one another, reminding one of the kinship, bonds and common culture within the community. Needless to say, the audience sang to the music with the lyrics provided and the concert ended with a standing ovation from the audience. As of the last count, we managed to raise a total of 10,000 Ringgit from the sales of the tickets. After some fast packing, we returned to the hotel with all our instruments in tow.

3rd Dec

We woke up after a good sleep and proceeded to a local wet market for a tour. We then visited the pitcher plant and orchid garden of Kuching. It was pretty interesting to look at the pitcher plants as they are mainly found in Malaysia. Singapore's Botanical Garden does have a few species but Malaysia has more. Appearing in various sizes, shapes and colours, the pitcher plants have 1 primary function: to attract insects to drop into the digestive liquids found at the bottom of the "pitcher" and digest them. This is the way the plants obtain precious nutrients in nutrient-poor soil. As it was not the blooming season for the orchids, we were unable to see most of the orchid flowers.

Next on our itinery was the crocodile farm managed by Mr Yong and his family. It seemed that they were very successful breeding their crocodiles, exporting a portion for cross-breeding overseas or for meat and related products. Even the officials from AVA in Singapore were amazed that the crocodile farm was able to achieve a high 80% of egg-laying for the crocodiles as the crocodiles in Singapore's Crocodile Farm only managed an average of 60%. The crocodile farm acts as the only zoo in Kuching as it houses animals like owls, pythons, otters, peacocks other than crocodiles. Although there are brown coloured road signs to indicate the location of the crocodile farm along the road and the farm is marked on many big and small maps, the local government refused to continue issuing a license to Mr Yong. It will indeed be a pity if Kuching people do not have such a place to go to, given the size of the farm and the variety of animals it keeps in there. (yes yes, I have deliberately placed the photo of the pitcher plant and owl sideways to maintain picture quality. No, it was not my intention to torture your neck or eyes...)

The last leg of our tour was to a longhouse. We all had a feel of how the locals lived in the past and how they have adapted to modern times. The locals keep their poultry in cages at the edge of the longhouses or in the open space beneath the long houses. All building materials can be found in the nearby forests. We also had the chance to try the blowpipe used by the aborigines during hunting. I must say it requires some skill to maintain accuracy and maximise the damage to the prey of the hunt.

Our last night in Kuching was spent at a seafood hawker centre located on the rooftop of a building. In appreciation of our efforts, Mr Yong and his party treated us to a seafood dinner. The dish which left a lasting impression on me was the Kuching version of the oyster omelette. In Singapore, we fried the oyster with beaten eggs and cornflour mixture to form a paste-like omelette. In Kuching, they had the oysters in beaten eggs, adding only a little conflour mixture to create a crispy thin layer. A special sauce was provided for additional flavouring. According to Mr Yong, they could also fry our Singapore version, but the locals prefer their version. I must say it was very savoury and made me look forward to tasting it again in future.

4th Dec

After some late night packing the previous night, the orchestra managed to wake up in time and send all instruments and luggages up onto the coaches. After some farewells at the airport, we head straight back to Senai Airport and entered Singapore through the 2nd link again.

Reflections on China Trip

2007-01-15T23:46:00.000+08:00

Yes yes, I know it's 2007 now and the China trip was in Nov 2006, but that does not mean I cannot be expressing my reflections about the trip.

Many learning points from the trip:
This trip has brought me to places I have never visited before, so every bit of information is new to me. The notes I have made is enough to prove how much I have learnt about China and its history and culture.

Being a first timer bringing students overseas, it is a learning experience to handle all the preparatory work and running the actual programme. Looking after myself is all the more important now that I have students with me. Fortunately, I was the sole healthy teacher and learnt to look after students better.

I was glad my knowledge of Chinese History was useful. As the tour guide was constantly speaking too fast for our students to pick up, and because the students had no background knowledge about Chinese History, my stories and add-ons were useful in helping students understand Chinese History better. Maybe I should consider a job involving Chinese History. A curator in Asian Civilisation Museum, or a tour guide?

Do hope our students learn to appreciate their environment better. We have better living conditions, better facilities, more colourful lifestyle, better tasting food (to some students), there is no reason for our students to complain about Singapore or their own situation. Also, I do hope our students learn to be more independent, knowing how to look out for themselves. Finally, do hope students change to a much healthier lifestyle. It was shocking to know that some students do not drink anything except soft drinks, eat snacks/fried food/meat rather than vegetables. It will only be a receipe to falling sick.

Will I be looking forward to another trip to China? Yes, but some other locations (maybe the other 2 famous peaks) by myself. :)

China Trip, 18th - 19th Nov Xian

2007-01-15T21:59:00.000+08:00

We are now on the last leg of our journey. After a gruelling 5 hour coach ride from Henan province to Xian, we stopped at the same Halal steamboat restaurant for our late lunch. In the evening, we proceed on to the Drum & Bell Tower for a tour of the Muslim market. As a major city in western China, Xian has a big population of Hui (Muslim) tribe. Hence, one can find a Halal restaurant easily in Xian. The Hui people set up business around the Drum tower in the older part of the city. Upon entering the market area, we found a lot of stalls all packed into a long street selling all sorts of trinklets, souvenirs and some antique stuff. Some of the students wanted to get some more gifts for their friends, and knowing I could help them bargain, requested for my assistance every now and then. The fun part of buying things is to be able to bargain for it. The trick is to lower the price until both parties find it acceptable. The merchants may seem reluctant, but they usually still earn some profits, and we get what we want. Some people may be so good at bargaining that they can slash the prices to less than 50% of the original price, but usually at the expense of the merchant. As I want to enjoy the process, I will not sour the mood of the merchant. As long as I think I get a cheaper price, then it is fine for me.

At the end of the stalls, the small alley opens up

to a street filled with eateries selling beef and lamb kebabs. Ever the gourmet, my eyes lit up when students tell me they have tried the barbequed beef stick. The beef stick is average, because the chilli oil removes any flavour the seasoning might have, save the saltiness. The other interesting food is the mirror cake （镜糕）. It is made of rice flour, decorated with coloured sugar syrup, coated with The hawkers are pretty up-to-date, using popular anime and characters as designs. The cake taste ordinary, but it has a novel look to it.

We visited the Ming wall the next morning. It was chilly and windy, and my nose was runny for a brief while. We viewed the siege machines used to defend or attack a city, and were left to tour the city walls. While sight-seeing, the hawkers there flew a string of kites to attract our attention, and I went to try it out. The constant breeze and the small size made it easy to fly the kites, and it was quite a satisfaction after missing out on kite-flying for a couple of years.

The final place we visited before we depart for Chengdu then Singapore was the Big Wild Goose Pagoda （大雁塔）in Xian. It definitely looks different during the day without the lighting and waterworks. The tour guide explained that the pagoda was built using the donations by all the palace maids. It was because the palace maids were staunch Buddhists, and knowing how long it takes the Imperial Court to approve of funds for any projects, the palace maids decided to contribute their cosmectic allowance to finance the building of the pagoda. This event clearly shows the level of devotion of Chinese towards Buddhism during Tang dynasty and how prosperous the dynasty was.

Bustling January

2007-01-09T23:15:00.000+08:00

January is one of the busiest months for all educators...

3rd Jan 1st day of school
4th Jan - 6th Jan Sec 2 Camp
8th Jan Chinese Orchestra practice
9th Jan SMC Meeting
10th Jan Sagano High School Rehearsal, CCA Meeting
12th Jan Reservist Briefing, CCA Showcase
13th Jan SAWN group meeting
16th Jan Submission of workplans
19th Jan Taiji Performance Rehearsal
20th Jan Good Friend Wedding
21st Jan Taiji Performance
27th Jan IPPT

May I survive 2007...

China Trip, Shaolin 16th-17th Nov

2007-01-09T21:58:00.000+08:00

After our visit to Shaolin temple, we went on to the highlight of our trip - Shi Xiao Long Shaolin Temple Martial Arts School. Shi Xiao Long is the young guy acting in Young Justice Bao. His father was an wushu instructor and he started learning wushu at a tender age of 3. By about 10 years old, he was already filming movies and earning money. He used his earnings to build a wushu academy in Deng Feng to teach fellow countrymen wushu, while he went on to Canada for his studies.

The students were divided into 2 groups, with Miss Lee & Mdm Gao in the first group while I am in the second group. Special mention must go to Chong Yan Jing of 2E3 2006, as I noticed she became the "unofficial" student instructor leading her group to practice the moves. She had a good memory and picked up the moves quite fast. Also, she was quite able to motivate her group to practice till they got it. Sadly, I was leading my group and most of them depended on me for the moves.

The instructors are monks from Shaolin temple learning martial arts in the wushu academy. The 2 in the picture are the ones assigned to my group. They seldom talk, and are rather fast in their teaching. Seeing that I can do several moves better than the students and that I am always the one to get the students moving, the monks let me do most of the reinforcing. Once they see me get it, they usually let me do the rest of the refreshing and polishing. Guess I have myself partly to blame for my predicament. As the 2 monks practice wushu daily, they are able to do the horse stance （马步）at a level much lower than I could. As such, they kept asking the students to go lower, stretch their legs wider, forgetting that it took them years of training to attain what they have achieved so far. By mid-day, my legs were already trembling from the sheer exertion. The students took longer to feel the effects as most of them did not push themselves hard enough. By the first day, we had finished learning Shaolin's Xiao Hong Quan（小洪拳）. Without any basics to begin with, learning 30 over moves within a day is way too fast, as the students do not have ample time to reinforce what they have learnt.

Initially, I thought we only had to learn 1 set, so when we returned on the second day, I was horrified to hear that we had 2 sets to learn! As I feared, the students could not really absorb the second set and by mid-day on the second day, we had problems recalling the moves from both sets.

Nontheless, it was quite an experience learning Shaolin martial arts as it is very different from the taiji that I learnt. In fact, taiji originates from Wudang, the second most revered birthing ground of Chinese martial arts, so I am glad I had the chance to "peek" into Shaolin martial arts. Some of the girls had a fun time teasing the 2 younger monks teaching the other group as the 2 younger monks were quite shy. I think at the end of it all, students appreciate the hard work the monks had gone into to achieve what they had, so I do hope the students will learn to put forth their best foot in all that they do!

China Trip, Deng Feng 15th Nov

2007-01-08T22:34:00.000+08:00

After leaving Xingyang San Zhong, we headed towards Deng Feng, the place where the world reknown Shaolin temple is located. Unfortunately for us, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jia Bao decided to pay Shaolin a visit. As a result, the expressway leading to Deng Feng was blockaded for a full one and a half hour. This is not the first time for me, but I believe most students have never encountered a similar experience before this. The term Deng Feng 登封literally means "ascend and bestow a title". In the town of Deng Feng, we can find scores of shops selling Chinese weapons and costumes, and dozens of martial arts schools. The famous Shaolin temple is situated on Shao Shi Mountain 少室山in Deng Feng.

As the weather in Deng Feng was pretty chilly, our entire group was wrapped up in our jackets as we traverse the expanse of Shaolin temple. Within the temple grounds, we can also find hundreds of young Chinese practising martial arts. Looking at how they practise, I was thinking that should Deng Feng be the only place to send representatives for Asian Games, China would have enough people to get all the medals, so one can think how easy it will be for the whole of China to win medals in Wushu category. Before actually entering the Shaolin temple, we were treated to a martial arts display in a specially built auditorium.

In the auditorium, we were treated to a rehearsed display of martial arts, and we then proceed to the temple grounds proper. Too bad some parts of the temple were destroyed in a major fire and the temple buildings we see today were built after the 1980s. Now if only the scriptures containing the best skills were kept in the scriptorium, I would dress myself in black and enter the temple grounds after nightfall to steal the manuals. As we were touring the various parts of the temple, the sky began to darken and it started drizzling when we were midway through Shaolin. As such, we had to hasten our tour of Shaolin temple and proceed on to the forest of pagodas behind Shaolin temple. Placed in the pagodas are the relics of all the abbots of Shaolin temple. By the time we ended our tour of the pagodas, the sky was already quite dark and we had to leave the temple grounds by taking the local scooter-like vehicles to transfer to our coach.

China Trip, Xingyang 15th Nov

2007-01-08T21:39:00.000+08:00

We continue travelling deeper into Henan Province, and arrive in Xingyang to visit the middle school (the equivalent of a secondary school in mainland China), 荥阳三中. Although the driver and tour guide had some problems locating the school, we managed to reach it in the end and were greeted warmly by the Principals, staff and students of the school. After some brief introduction by the Principal, the students got to mingle around. Thereafter, our group was lead around the school grounds for a tour of the facilities. Being a rather prestigious school in Xingyang, Xingyang San Zhong was quite large and had the basic facilities of a normal Chinese school.

What is more remarkable (but not noticed by most of our students) is that Chinese students had a high level of discipline, because when we were stomping up the stairs, there was no noise at any level, all these despite the fact that there are about 52 students in each class! In China, the students travel around the school quietly and orderly, and listened attentively during lessons. During physical training, you can hear the students shouting cheers very clearly across the running track. Given the same scenario, our Singapore students will rather walk when the teacher is not hard on them. Also, when called upon to perform or do public speaking, Chinese students definitely had the confidence and discipline to discharge the task. On the other hand, our students back in Singapore will either give all sorts of excuses or refuse to speak up in front of their own class, much less in front of foreign visitors. Obviously, we have to do more to ensure that our students can present themselves well, and that they do not choose to do it or not. Some might say I am adopting too harsh a stand, but I think we must prepare our students for future challenges ahead and not just offer them soft options.

After the tour, both sides put up simple performances as a gesture of cultural exchange. The Chinese students sang their school song and a translated version of Zhang Xueyou's Farewell 《吻别》 while our students prepared 3 songs and a skit. I was thanking myself for my foresight as I had arranged with the group leaders to decide on the songs to perform and got them prepared for it. Had we not iron out that out, our students would not have been clear what to put up for the exchange other than the skit.

After spending an hour and a half in Xingyang San Zhong, we had a brief exchange of gifts and had a photo-taking session in front of the school. Before we left, our students also presented the Chinese students with simple gifts as a token of appreciation for their hospitality. Needless to say, the students exchange emails and left quite an impression on the Chinese students, particularly since our group was mainly girls and they had quite a number of boys.

Recall 2006

2007-01-02T21:45:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year to everyone out there. Now that 2006 is behind us, let me recall the last 2 busy months of 2006:

9th Nov - 21st Nov: Chinese Department China Trip
22nd Nov - 23rd Nov: Staff Retreat
24th Nov: Graduation Night
30th Nov: Upper Sec Classmate Wedding
1st Dec - 4th Dec: Chinese Orchestra Sarawak Trip
15th Dec - 18th Dec: Gamers' Chalet
19th Dec -21st Dec: Resort
22nd Dec: Sec 1 Registration, GOod friend's pre-wedding dinner
23rd Dec: Cousin wedding
24th Dec: Cousin's son wedding
27th Dec: SMC meeting
28th Dec: Staff Meeting, Faculty Meeting
29th Dec: Departmental Meeting
31st Dec: Taiji Year End gathering
1st Jan: Gathering for fellow gamers

Now that the new year has begun, there are many things lying on the horizon:

Jan: Sec 1 Orientation, New Year Begins, Taiji Performance, IPPT, Lower Sec Classmate Wedding
Feb: Lunar New Year
Mar: External Validation Team, Reservist in Taiwan, JC classmates gathering
Apr: SYF Central Judging 2007, Reservist in Taiwan
Jun: Moving to temporary holding school
Jul: BBSS SYF Combined Concert
Aug: Chinese Orchestra Handing-Taking Over Ceremony
Nov: NIE classmate wedding
Dec: JC classmate wedding, Army friend wedding

Do look forward to a fruitful year ahead...

China Trip, Kaifeng 14th Nov

2006-12-31T12:25:00.000+08:00

We travelled to Kaifeng, the famous Song （宋）dynasty capital on 14th Nov. Our very 1st stop was Justice Bao's Temple（包公祠）. The stories of Justice Bao were passed down by word of mouth by the commoners from Song dynasty, and with the drama serial by China and Taiwan, most Chinese Singaporeans would have heard a bit about him.

All stories of Justice Bao depict him as a righteous and upright offical, helping to redress innocents' woes and punishing the evil doers who were rich and powerful. In his temple, we learnt that Justice Bao was not actually as dark skin as most of us believed him to be. This is because in traditional Chinese opera, upright figures have a black or red face, hence the tales and opera has changed the colour of his skin and included the crescent moon to signify his status among the commoners. A huge black tablet was placed in Justice Bao's temple, and the names of all the magistrates that have served Kaifeng were all carved on the black tablet. As Justice Bao was so popular among the commoners, people who visited Justice Bao's temple used their fingers to touch Justice Bao's name on the tablet. After many centuries, his name has been "erased" due to all the rubbing action of the visitors' fingers, leaving a black dent behind.

In the following photos, we see Justice Bao's court in session, giving trial to the all famous case of Chen Shimei （陈世美）betraying his wife for fame and power. In the story, Chen Shimei headed to Kaifeng to sit for the imperial exams, leaving his wife behind in their hometown. When he became the top scholar, it was customary for the emperor to bestow his daughter's hand in marriage to the top scholar and award him a post. Desiring power and faithless to his wife, Chen accepted the marriage proposal and became the royal consort prince.

Chen's wife waited in vain for his return, and her case was brought to the capital. Justice Bao presided over the case, declaring Chen Shimei to be lying to the emperor about his marital status and betraying his wife. Needless to say, Justice Bao had to pit himself against the empress dowager, who seeked to protect her son-in-law. In the photo on the right, you see the whole court of Justice Bao present in court. The scholar is Gongsun Ce （公孙策）, Justice Bao's advisor and reputed to be quite intelligent himself. The constables by the side are the famous quartet, Zhang Long（张龙）, Zhao Hu（赵虎）, Wang Chao（王朝）, Ma Han（马汉）.

Despite the strong resistence, Justice Bao prevailed in the end and ordered the execution of Chen Shimei by the dragon head execution blade（龙头铡）.

The dragon head execution blade is used to execute royalty, especially those convicted of treason or upsurping the throne. The tiger head execution blade （虎头铡）is used to execute those corrupt officials who abused their powers. The dog head execution blade （狗头铡）is used to execute those ruffians and robbers.

After touring Justice Bao's temple, we proceeded on to Long Ting（龙亭）to see the replicated palace of Kaifeng. Right at the entrance to Long Ting, we see a model of what Kaifeng used to look like during the Song dynasty. From the model, it seemed that Kaifeng was pretty big at that time, indicating the wealth and prosperity of China during peaceful times.

As the flower represeting Kaifeng is chrysanthemum and it just so happens that chrysanthemum is in full bloom during our visit, the streets of Long Ting are aligned with pots and pots of chrysanthemum. After some photo-taking and ice-cream savouring (no doubt started by the student), we went on to view the Kai Bao Si Pagoda（开宝寺塔）,or better known as Iron Pagoda（铁塔）because the colour of the bricks resemble that of iron.

The pagoda is unique because it is built using singular bricks of coloured glaze（琉璃）, which was not a common building material then and now. Also, each singular brick is crafted with designs and carvings. This means the process of building this particular pagoda took more efforts than usual in terms of collecting building materials and design. It was originally tilting towards the northwest direction. Due to constant strong winds in the area, the pagoda now slants towards southeast.

China Trip, San Men Xia Luoyang 13th Nov

2006-12-30T12:09:00.000+08:00

From Xian, we took a 2.5hr coach ride to San Men Xia, passing 1 of the 5 famous peaks in China, Hua Shan （华山）. In Jin Yong's pugilistic world, the top 5 exponents went to Hua Shan and fought for days to decide who was the best.

For those who did not know, there are 5 famous mountains in China which were bestowed titles by the emperors of various dynasties. The chief of them all was the Eastern Peak（东岳） Tai Shan （泰山）, Southern Peak（南岳）Heng Shan (衡山）,Western Peak（西岳）Hua Shan（华山）, Northern Peak（北岳）Heng Shan（恒山）and Central Peak（中岳）Song Shan（嵩山）. In Chinese mythology, the ancient Chinese revered mountains, believing in the existence of mountain gods. Hence some emperors will choose their coronation to be held on mountain peaks, so as to receive the mandate of Heaven to be the Son of Heaven （天子）and rule the country. During times of disasters like drought or famine, emperors will also ascend mountain peaks to pray for good harvest or rain for the good of all his people.

As we arrived in San Men Xia, the tour guide explained that the gorges were formed when the mythological figure Da Yu （大禹）was trying to prevent the annual flooding of the Yellow River. It was claimed that he paved 3 gateways to spread the waters, namely the Human Gate（人门）, Ghost Gate（鬼门） and God Gate（神门）, hence the name “三门峽”. The next day, we visited the famous Bao Lun Si Pagoda（宝轮寺塔）. The pagoda is 1 of the few buildings in China which has an echo effect when people try to produce a sound. Hence whenever someone uses the rock to hit on the rock base, the sound will travel to the pagoda and the resulting echo will sound like a frog croaking. The other more famous echo structure would be the echo wall （回音壁）of Tian Tan （天坛）in Beijing. Though I am not well versed in Physics, I believe the unqiue structure of the pagoda is the cause of the echo effect. The pagoda that we visited was an enclosed stone pagoda （密岩室塔）with no other openings, therefore the sound waves will enter the pagoda through a very small doorway at the base of the pagoda, bounce inside the walls of the pagoda before coming out as an echo.

In China, most pagodas were built in the past to store the shahira （舍利／舍利子）, or the relics of a monk after he has been cremated. It was said to contain the essence of the person, and that venerable monks would have a huge amount of it in their ashes.

We then proceeded on to Luoyang, another ancient capital of ancient China. The famous White Horse Temple （白马寺）is situated in Luoyang, and the temple was built to comemorate the 2 white horses that carried the 1st Buddhist scriptures into China during Eastern Han dynasty (东汉）. It was said that emperor Ming dreamt of a golden man from the west flew into the great hall in the palace and ordered his personal study to be renovated into a Buddhist temple. Hence, the White Horse Temple is the 1st government-built Chinese Buddhist Temple in China. Buddhism is mainly divided into 2 broad categories, the Tibetan Buddhism （藏传佛教）and Chinese Buddism（汉传佛教）. The biggest contrast is that Tibetan Buddhism is mainly in Tibet（西藏）with lamas （喇嘛）blowing huge trumpets and wearing unqiue hats while Chinese Buddhism is known throughout most parts of China with the all-familiar shaven head monks with 6-9 burnt marks on the head.

The next day, we travelled to the world famous Longmen Grottoes （龙门石窟）which houses tens of thousands of Buddha statues carved into the cliff face from Northern Wei to Sui & Tang dynasties （北魏、隋、唐）. As it houses so many carved Buddhist statues from different eras, the Longmen Grottoes has long been recognised as a cultural, historical, artistic and religious site. As such, it is listed under United Nations' World Heritage. Sadly, many selfish collectors will gladly pay huge sums for robbers to deface many of the Buddha statues, leaving a decaptitated body behind.

The bigger statues were mainly carved under imperial orders to pray for prosperity for good health. The smaller statues found near the big statues were mainly ordered by other officials.

In 1 particular cave, it was said to house at least 15000 Buddha statues. This cave is aptly named "Ten Thousand Buddha Cave" （万佛洞）.The little grooves on the side walls are all filled with small Buddha statues. This is a testimony of how the artisans painstakingly made such pieces of religious masterpieces. It is truly our fortune to be able to inherit such rich heritage from our forefathers. I do hope that as China continues to prosper, the Chinese will be able to devise new technology to preserve such art and cultural relics for future generations to keep.

The grottoes are actually on both sides of the river, but due to time constraints, I chose to retrace my steps back to the coach rather than visit the rebuilt Xiang Shan Temple （香山寺）across the river.

It was truly a humbling experience viewing the work of ancient artisans at this site. I only wish that those private collectors will one day realise the damage they have done to all humanity and restore the stolen heads back where they belong.

After lunch, we went on to Guan Lin（关林）, where the famous 3 Kingdoms gereral Guan Yu（关羽） was buried. The Chinese differentiated the names given to the tombs of ancient figures. Emperor tombs were known as "Huang Ling"（皇陵）,the tombs of the 2 sages Guan Yu as "Guan Lin"（关林）and Confucious as "Kong Lin"（孔林）, with the tombs of other officials and common people as "Mu"（墓）. This is to differentiate between the different social classes and the honour accorded to them when they passed from this world.

Probably due to the respect for Guan Yu,

I have somehow decided to take very few pictures of the entire Guan Lin. In fact, in my zest to explain some of the stories of the 3 Kingdoms era, I have forgotten to take the tablet in front of Guan Yu's tomb! I will have to pinch myself for that. It was a known fact that when Guan Yu was serving Cao Cao during a short period of time, Cao Cao hosted a small banquet every 3 days and a grand banquet every 5 days. It was also said that Guan Yu was rewarded a tray of gold ingots whenever he rode his horse and a tray of silver ingots whenever he alighted from his horse. Cao Cao also gave Guan Yu an official duke title and a dozen of beauties to serve him. Guan Yu remained unmoved until Cao Cao also gave Guan Yu the famous "Red Hare" horse （赤兔马）,which was reputed to be able to travel a thousand miles in a day. Guan Yu knelt when he recognised the horse, explaining that with the horse, he could return immediately to his sworn brother, Liu Bei's （刘备）side. Such was Guan Yu's loyalty towards his sworn brother.

Upon hearing news of Liu Bei, Guan Yu carved a painting of bamboo for Cao Cao, and researchers claimed that the leaves of the bamboo resemble Chinese characters. Thus, they carbon-copied the painting, and copied the words to form a poem:

不谢东君意，单青独立名。

莫嫌孤叶淡，终久不凋零。

which translates loosely to "Many thanks to your kindness. I would prefer to carve out a name for myself in history by my own efforts. Do not think of the bamboo leaves as plain, for they are evergreen and do not wilt." It is also important to note that ancient Chinese adore bamboo as it represents integrity and the upright character that a man should possess. A poem within bamboo leaves, how creative...

China Trip, Xian 11th Nov - 12th Nov

2006-12-30T11:27:00.000+08:00

After a plane flight from Chengdu, we have finally arrived in Xian. Being 1 of the ancient capitals of China, Xian is a city I have always wanted to visit. On the evening of our arrival, we were brought to a Halal restaurant for steamboat. Yes, China does have Muslims, and they form the 2nd or 3rd largest minority in China, especially in the west and northwestern region. All Halal restaurants in China will have the descriptor "Qing Zhen" （清真）to indicate that it sells Halal food.

After dinner, we proceeded to Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square （大雁塔）to watch the musical fountain. Every night, the fountain performance will start at 8:30pm and last for about 15mins. Although Singapore's Sentosa had something similar to offer, the musical fountain there beats us in sheer scale due to the size of the fountain square. The water fountain displays were quite limited, but it was a treat for the eyes nonetheless. I believe quite a number of students used their video recording function to record the entire performance.

The next morning, the coach took us to Qin Shi Huang's tomb with the world famous terracotta warriors. I have always thought they were all biege in colour till the tour guide explained that there is no current technology that can preserve the colours on the warriors, hence the majority of the warriors lay buried in their original state. Also, the Chinese have detected a great amount of mecury surrounding Qin Shi Huang's tomb, suggesting that he had trapped the entire tomb to prevent tomb robbers from robbing his grave. Since there was no way of ensuring that the items within the tomb would not be destroyed by the mercury, the Chinese decided to leave the tomb alone. The sheer size of the mound of the tomb is enough for us to imagine the grandeur of the entire tomb.

China Trip, Chengdu 9th Nov - 10th Nov 2006

2006-12-29T23:14:00.000+08:00

It's been donkey ages since I have blogged, and my fans are screaming for signs of me still alive and on Earth.

I was away in China from 9th Nov to 21st Nov, leading a group of 32 girls & 3 boys to China., plus Miss Lee Choon Lin, Mr Quek Chin Keong & Mdm Gao Song. We travelled from Chengdu （成都）to Xian（西安） to San Men Xia（三门峽） to Luoyang（洛阳） to Kaifeng（开封） to Zhengzhou（郑州） to Dengfeng（登封） then retrace our steps all the way back to Chengdu.

Upon arrival in Chengdu, we went straight to Wang Jiang Lou（望江楼）, the memorial for Xue Tao（薛涛）, a relatively unknown Tang（唐）dyanasty female poetess due to her social status as a courtesan. Despite her low status, she was the one who used bamboo as materials to produce paper, especially small pieces of paper to write the short poems so popular during her time.

It seemed that she was not very well loved by her significant other, for he seemed to have married another woman.

That very evening in Chengdu, we had the chance to shop at 1 of the preserved streets of Chengdu, Jin Li Street. （锦里步行街）

Most of the buildings definitely looked rebuilt, but I like the feel of the place, except it is a tad too commercialised for my taste. The moment I started to walk into the place, I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera along. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because my old Olympus would not have been able to take such clear pictures in poorly lit conditions.

One thing that caught my attention was a stall that invited people to try shooting at straw target boards with a chinese crossbow. The stall claimed that it was a "Zhuge Nu"（诸葛弩）, meaning a crossbow designed by the famous strategist Zhuge Liang（诸葛亮）in the Romance of the 3 Kingdoms. What is so intriguing about the crossbow is that it was known to be a rapid-firing crossbow, capable of shooting up to 10 bolts, increasing Shu（蜀） army's firepower back in the 3 Kingdom Era.

On the second day, we went to Qingyang Gong （青羊宫）, a taoist temple in Chengdu. Unfortunately for the students, the taoist priest guide was talking at such a rapid speed that most of them could not catch what he was saying. The fact that he was talking about Chinese mythology and taoist beliefs did not help the students to understand the place better too. The goat has the characteristics of all 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac: Dragon horn, Mouse ears, Roster eyes, Goat beard, Monkey neck, Cow nose, Horse mouth, Tiger claws, Dog belly, Pig bottom, Rabbit back and Snake tail. By touching the part of the goat belonging to your own zodiac, you can pray for harmony within the family and smooth ride for the year ahead.

According to the priest, this pavilion was built to represent that the sky was round and the earth square, so the pavilion is circular and built on a square raised platform. The raised platform is built on the centre of 9 big square tiles, thus signifying that the pavilion is positioned in the middle of a 9 square 8 trigrams （九宫八卦）. Being in the centre of the temple grounds, this pavilion will maintain the equilibrium of all the forces in the area. The pavilion has 5 colours to symbolise the 5 Chinese elements. Red for fire, yellow for earth, green for wood, black for water and white for gold.

After the temple visit, we went to another famous street in Chengdu, Qin Tai Street （琴台街）and did some shopping for souvenirs and local produce. After lunch, we proceeded to Chengdu's airport and flew over to Xian in the afternoon.

Congratulations!

2006-11-01T19:59:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to the 5 of us who made it through the interview. I do look forward to learning how to do a better job! At least some good news after all the busy planning and tying up loose ends.

Frentic November

2006-10-31T22:02:00.000+08:00

If you come across any PD, CC or Dean these days, do not be surprised to see everyone in short temper, busy or in a hurry. It's been a flurry of activities ever since the end of SA2, and while the lower sec classes go off for their much desired holidays, the rest of us are buried in many areas.

1) Testimonies of Graduating Classes. We use to take 2 months to write and complete, now the deadline has been pushed forward. Writing good testimonials and ensuring no 2 testimonials are alike takes much effort and thought.

2) School Excellence Model. We all need to reflect on our actions. As an institute, we need to do some trimming and adjustments every now and then to make sure we are on the right track.

3) Fund Raising. It's about Innovation and Entreprise, it's about giving students an experience in raising funds, it's about helping students to offset some of their travel costs, it tells people Chinese Orchestra is not merely practice and performance only. Best of all, the hawkers enjoy it, the customers walk away happy.

4) Chinese Orchestra Costume. Blazers are formal, but we need another set. High time to get a new outfit that will last us in many performances and competitions for the next few years.

5) Interviews. Everyone faces an interview sometime in life. It's just how well you have prepared for it. Looking back, you then realised how much you have learnt, or how much further you can go.

6) Le Tour de Chine. Briefings, briefings, briefings. Briefings for overseas trip are anything but short and precise. Coupled with minor hiccups, issues and forgetful brains, the tour is anything but brief.

7) Forward Planning. Plan for your future, for you have a clearer picture in mind. Ad-hoc doesn't always work, especially if it involves hundreds of teenagers. Education is a long, gradual process, but planning for the future has short deadlines.

8) Weddings. It's the holidays. People go overseas, people take a break. Why, people get married at this time of the year too! Not 1, not 2, but 4! You wanna pay to go and eat?

9) Issues. Yes, troubled teens are a handful. Sticky family makes it worst. Start helping a teen? You are gonna be in for a long ride. Take a deep breath before you go on.

10) Budget. Yes, it's good to be prudent and plan how you will manage your finances. How much is Sec 2 gonna spend next year? Will Chinese Orchestra have enough to sustain the quality and quantity of it's members? Plan ahead, for you need to add lots of value.

11) Graduation Night. It's been 4 years. Do you still remember the time when you had your 1st camp? Do you still remember the things you did a year ago? How did you find this year's activities? Well, it will be the best time to recall your best memories.

12) Sarawak. We met a decade ago. We haven't been talking. Now it's high time we meet up again. Not only will we re-affirm the ties we built so many years ago, it will be an eye-opener for many and a good preparation for all.

Now, imagine you have to do 3 to 4 of the above at the same time...

Preparations for Deeparaya Fund Raising

2006-10-24T16:14:00.000+08:00

After an impromptu meeting with Wenting, Ariel, Cassandra, Huimin, Jasmine, Michelle, we have tied down some of the stuff to prepare.

1) Mr Siah will be buying fruit plus sweets, some snacks, popcorn and plastic bags to contain the popcorn.
2) All in the meeting will bring lighters to seal the plastic. Cassandra will bring her candles to sell.
3) Jasmine will bring her flat lollipops to sell.
4) All committee members will report outside staff room by 6:45am tomorrow and help to seal the plastic bags for the popcorn and also pack the foodstuff.
5) If the weather is fine, all wares will be brought to the wooden benches near fitness corner for central distribution. Committee members will then divide among themselves to sell the stuff or help to pack the stuff during the Deeparaya concert. If the concert is held in the hall, then committee members will help to sell them in the hall. Only if need be will the section leaders get more help from their section members.
6) Mr Siah will also be bringing his X-Men album for sale, price $15/=.
7) Huimin will relay msg to Tianxin who will inform Yupeng, Weijian & Wee Cheng, Ariel will relay to Mun Kit, Peixian & Shiya. Wenting will relay to Brenda who will relay to Peiqi.

Did I miss out anything?

Presents!

2006-10-24T15:58:00.000+08:00

Now, if I were to have a wish list of what I want to get, they would be:
1) Complete set of Generation 1 Transformers Seacons in mint condition with Snaptrap, Tentakil, Nautilator, Skalor, Seawing and Overbite
2) Generation 1 Cyclonus in mint condition
3) X-Men Apocalypse Action Figurine still in box
4) X-Men Mr Sinister still in box
5) X-Men Charles Xavier still in box
6) X-Men Phoenix & Dark Phoenix still in box
7) X-Men Sauron still in box
8) X-Men Gambit still in box
9) X-Men Rogue still in box
10) PC Game Medieval: Total War 2
11) PC Game Warhammer: Storm of Chaos
12) PC Game Neverwinter Nights 2

Successful Fund Raising

2006-10-24T15:49:00.000+08:00

As part of our efforts to raise funds for the Chinese Orchestra's trip to Sarawak, Chinese Orchestra members brought cordial drinks, biscuits, chocolates, crackers, soft toys, fishballs, nuggets and sausages.

I am happy to say that we have raised some cash, with plucking/percussion section selling the most as they have the widest variety of stuff to sell. Since tomorrow is Deeparaya celebrations, it will be another good opportunity for the members to peddle their wares during the concert.

Breakthroughs!

2006-10-20T15:48:00.000+08:00

I managed some breakthroughs on Wednesday night. Somehow, both me and my mum were thinking of eating Japanese food for dinner! Well, we had agedashi toufu (fried toufu with special sauce), teriyaki chicken ramen, sake chawanmushi (juz chawanmushi), yasai tempura (vegetable tempura), tamago shushi (egg sushi) and salmon sashimi (raw sliced salmon).

The breakthrough was actually getting my mum to eat raw salmon. At home, she is so used to eating steamed salmon, believing wasabi is too spicy and raw salmon makes her sick. Well, I cannot blame her totally as she was brought up eating fried and steamed fish, so raw food, especially seafood, was never a choice for her. Well, I was glad I treated her to salmon sashimi last night as she could finally appreciate the smoothness of salmon sashimi. Although she only took 3 half slices, it was already a breakthrough. She also took well to the ramen, toufu and sushi, but enjoyed the yasai tempura the most. And she was not so afraid of wasabi after tasting it. Most importantly, after listening to my explaination of Japanese cusine, my mum felt that Japanese food is relatively healthier as it is not too oily nor too heavy in taste.

So I believe the biggest highlight is having changed my mum's perception that Japanese food are all cold and raw. Now that she has tried food that suits her taste, I am sure she will agree more readily when I suggest eating Japanese food in future. People, it is indeed hard to change adults' perception of things, especially when there is a generation gap. If we do make the effort to explain and show them what they find acceptable, we can manage small steps in communication. At least we will be able to reduce their bad feelings towards things we appreciate. Would you ever let your parents try something which you like but not acceptable by your parents?

What would you be?

2006-10-11T23:35:00.000+08:00

Teacher - challenging students, demanding parents, ever-changing education scene

Doctor - Very long house calls, variety of patients and relations, short demand everywhere

Lawyer - Very long working hours, endless workload

Accoutant/Auditor - Unearthly long working hours during peak seasons

Finance - Stressful, challenging

Retail/Customer Service - demanding customers, unattractive pay & career path

Food - Long working hours, physically tiring

Frankly speaking, youths nowadays do not really know what they want. They take up whatever lands on their laps after half-hearted attempts. What choices would they have left?

What feels good?

2006-10-11T23:07:00.000+08:00

Lying on a patch of grass on a hill to look at stars with your loved one- romantic

Driving a car with windows unwind at night - kewl

Swimming in the midst of corals and fish - exhilarating

Occasionally cooking dishes for your loved one - bliss

Walking down the streets of Paris/London in the evening looking at old shops - refreshing

Sipping hot tea with a book in hand and watching people walk by - enjoyment

Spending a few days in a sea resort in the Mediterranean - luxurious enjoyment

Having a spa session together with loved one - blissful relaxation

Getting a present you have always wanted but never expected - pleasant surprise

Seeing students do well and loving the language/Having students thanking you for what you did for them - rewarding

What about you?

What kind of animals do you like?

2006-10-11T22:48:00.001+08:00

Golden Eagle - sharp vision, magnificent looking, nice plumage (grandeur)

Vulture - sharp vision, adaptability?

Snowy Owl - sharp vision, silent flight, nice plumage (before Harry Potter movies were screened) (wisdom)

Sparrowhawk - good vision, good aero-dynamic flight, nice plumage

Raven/Crow - good memory/intelligence, adaptibility, mysterious (omen/intelligence)

I have always liked raptors (birds of prey) because of their nice plumage and wing shape. Soaring raptors is an embodiment of freedom for me.

Octopus - highly intelligent, colour changer, shape changer, devoted parent, highly flexible as it can squeeze through any gaps the size of its iron beak. (adaptibility)

Cuttlefish - colour changer, can hover forward/backwards/stop

Squid - suspected high intelligence, deep sea mystery

Mollucs are pretty unqiue and special, though some might say alien.

Wolf - social, good team spirit, excellent long distance runner, nice colouring (tenacity)

Tarantula - survivor from prehistoric times with primitive anatomy

Long Day

2006-10-10T23:47:00.000+08:00

Before Flag Raising: Settle the vendors for Financial Literacy Program for Sec 3

Just After Flag Raising: Announce that Chinese Orchestra is having practice this Thursday. Go around distributing data cables for laptops and ensuring that all Sec 3 classes are well equipped.

After Flag Raising: Meet students going for China trip.

Early Morning: Prepare some work for Sec 4s to revise for their Nov MT Paper. Do additional write-up for Eagles Award nominee. Do end of year work review with adjunct teacher. Invigilate form class doing Maths Paper.

Late Morning: Edit China List. Walk-about for Sec 3 program. Babysit Sec 2 class while doing paper work for China trip. Sort out stacks of paper on my desk. Making rounds to ensure Financial Literacy Program still runs smoothly. Brief meeting with Deans and VP for program for last days of school.

Afternoon: Disassemble visualisers with help from IT reps of sec 3 classes. Meet vendor for next year's camp. Buy and eat lunch at 4:30pm. Check emails.

Evening: Pack up and adjourn to Lecture Room for Late Night Study duty. Eat dinner at 6:45pm. Mark some work. End Late Night Study duty. Go home.

Night: Browse TV drama serial, refresh Kingdom of Heaven. Blog and then sleep to prepare for next day.

Bad Haze, Bad Mood, Bad News

2006-10-09T00:30:00.000+08:00

As if the raising pollution index is not enough, we are getting news of students suffering from flu en masse, meaning in big numbers. Are we facing the feared flu pandemic, or could it be a coincidence? Well, given the poor hygiene habits our people, espcially students have, I am not surprised. One can easily see quite a number of teenagers spitting in public. Call me black-hearted, but I do wish to see them suffer from flu. This is because by spitting in public, you are allowing germs from your phelgm to be exposed to more people, thus helping to spread any virus around.

6th Oct was Mid Autumn Festival (MAF), or more commonly known as Lantern or Mooncake Festival. It was supposed to be a time of reunions and happiness for ancient Chinese, and it is still one for those people who celebrate it. 7th Oct is HCJC's MAF celebrations, all because of the repeated 7th lunar month this year. HCJC's MAF celebrations has always been a well-known event among tertiary instituitions. It is usually a time of gathering for Hwa Chongnians from all batches and also for Hwa Chongnians and their friends from other schools. Whether in the plaza, the left or right wings, the canteen, the new block, one can find youths of all ages coming together to celebrate the occasion, regardless of school, race or religion. I do find the scale of the celebrations to be comparable to HCJC's Lunar New Year celebrations. The sheer atmosphere and scale of the celebrations would have been reason enough for anyone new to HCJC culture to want to be a part of it.

Although I wanted very much to go for it and see all the stalls peddling stuff and wushu performances, the lighting ceremony and join in the 8 mass dances, my heart was not with the celebrations. Firstly, most of my friends were quite caught up in their activities, so I did not want to go there without the company I was with. Secondly, I was helping to guide a wayward teenager and resolving disciplinary issues on Sat and Sun night, so going for MAF was certainly out of the question.

So in the end, MAF is just another day which could be good, but things did not turn out the way I hoped it would. Until I see the teenager making improvements, I know I cannot rest.

Saturday Chill Out

2006-10-07T14:29:00.000+08:00

I currently sipping a cup of English Breakfast Tea in Pacific Coffee Company in 1 Raffles Link, eating a piping hot chicken pie. It is the ideal type of lifestyle that I wish to lead, but I guess in Singapore, such pace of life is only possible on weekends when you do not have a huge mountain of workload weighing on your mind.

It is pretty theraputic to be sitting in a cafe sipping a cuppa and reading a magazine or a book, occasionally observing the people walking by. But this is even better if you have ideal company doing that together with you. Well, it all depends on the state of mind, whether you want to be alone enjoying a slow pace afternoon or some company to chat with.

Everything sounds so tranquil and peaceful, if only this scenario is perpetually the case.