Overcoming My Challenge

It had been quite an exciting week last week. I did new things and then met up with old friends.

Last thursday saw me and my class either swinging or walking from tree to tree on ropes and wooden boards at Bedok reservoir park. That day was the day I overcame my physical weakness, resulting in very sore arms and saving my face infront of the kids. Lol! The same challenge which I gave up on during the primary 5 camp many years ago, thank God, I overcame it using all I got, both legs and arms during which I realised that I was terribly unfit. Hahahahha!!! The kids were encouraging me from the ground not to give up, and because they were watching me, I did not want to disappoint them and also myself. If I gave up then, just at the start of the course, would that not be very malu? So, yeah. I did myself proud, finished the entire course with them and went home with sore arm muscles, tingling nerves and a furious bruise that has yet to disappear from my upper left arm. Oh! The course was designed with four Flying Fox/Zip Line and all four of these that I did ended up with me, as a fellow participant described, “butt-landing”, with sand all over the back of my tee-shirt and in my shoes and socks!!! And I had to invigilate an exam after that. How joyous. I brought home a bit of the reservoir that day.

Saturday was a very dull day. Firstly, I was in school with the band kids from 8a.m till 5p.m. during which I finished my Work Review (hooray!) and watched an episode of Bleach (:D). Shortly after I dismissed the band, it rained. In fact, it poured. It would had been alright if I was going home after that. However, it was not the case. I was going to Bishan to celebrate a friend’s coming-of-age. How sweet. And it was pouring all the way there. Yippee. It was great to meet the whole gang again. The previous times we met were only a handful of us, never us eight together. Strangely, the last time we had a “family portrait” was during the same guy’s birthday. Heh. The last photo was very formal, with the guys standing straight and not doing any funny business behind the girls  who were seated infront of them. This latest photo was very informal. Although we were together, we were, like, anyhow-anywhere. Lol! There was not any proper order. And one would think that as we grow older, our “family portraits” would be more and more formal. Instead, it is going the other way round. LOL!!!  Oh well, *sigh…*

Well, nothing else to report. Back to FB-ing or else YouTube-ing. Till next time. Cheers!

Still Alive

Alright, alright. I am still alive and thank you very much for your concern. Just leaving a note saying that I had been rather lazy since my last (short) entry. Hahaha. So, sue me, but you will not get any money out of me for it. Bleh.

My parents were in China for two weeks, meaning I was left at home with Kiki, and that we had to fend for ourselves during that time. Well, one good thing came out of it and that was, I had been clocking in to work at 7:05a.m almost every day. Lol!!! Usually, that is the time I would leave the house if Dad was sending me to school. Lol!!! I am such a horrible girl. So, yeah. Now that my personal driver is back home, things will go back to normalcy. Wahahahahaha!!!

Oh well… Some things will never change.

Have a lovely week ahead!

(nothing)

Yes. I am still alive. Remind me to grumble about the present and sad state of our country’s standard of English in my next post. Just mention the name of the Miss Singapore World 2009 represenative and I will be in a flurry of words.

“Just because I am”

A colleague sent this to me and I am putting it up here. Enjoy. 

*The Joy of Reading*

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Just because I am

 

 

I am a person.

I am special.

I am important.

Not because of things I do,

Not because of what I look like,

Not because of what I have…

Just because I am.

 

 

This is my body.

It is special.

It is one of a kind.

It is growing and changing.

I want to take care of my body…

Because it’s mine.

 

My body talks to me.

It tells me when I’m hungry.

It tells me when I’m sleepy.

It tells me when I’m sick.

I can trust my body…

To tell me what I need.

 

 

Sometimes I have strong feelings.

I feel anger.

I feel sadness.

I feel love…

These feelings belong to me.

 

 

When I feel angry,

Sometimes I yell.

Sometimes I cry.

Sometimes I talk to someone I love…

And then I feel better.

 

When I feel sad,

I need to cry.

I need a hug.

I need to tell someone about my sadness…

So I know it’s okay to be sad.

 

 

When I feel scared,

Scared of the dark,

Scared of people and things I don’t know,

I need to feel protected by someone I trust…

I need to feel safe.

 

 

When I feel love,

I feel warm and snuggly.

I feel happy and safe.

I feel important and special…

I can love myself.

 

 

I am learning and growing every day.

I learn by looking.

I learn by listening.

I learn by doing.

Sometimes I make mistakes,

That’s part of learning, too.

 

I can make decisions.

Sometimes I say ‘yes’.

I say ‘yes’ to playing and dancing.

I say ‘yes’ to laughing and singing.

I say ‘yes’ to hugging and touching…

When it feels right to me.

 

 

Sometimes I say ‘no’.

I say ‘no’ to danger.

I say ‘no’ to hugging and touching that feels wrong to me.

I say ‘no’ to strangers and things that hurt me…

I can decide. It’s up to me.

 

 

I have needs.

It’s important to let people know what I need.

I can ask for help when I need it.

I can ask someone who cares about me to help…

And then I know I’m not alone.

 

I am myself.

I am special and unique.

My body is a part of me.

My feelings are a part of me.

My thoughts are a part of me.

My needs are a part of me.

All of these things make up a special person…

Me.

 

Lauren Murphy Payne; Claudia Rohling

Just because I am: a child’s book of affirmation

Minneapolis, Free Spirit Publishing, 1994

Recent Wanderings…

Baka Tori rang me up out of the blue this afternoon, mainly to yak about events that had been happening since the new academic year at N*E started, to say that she missed me and also to complain that my blog is very much dead since my last entry; “Majulah Singapura” on August 9. Lol! And so, this is entry is somehow dedicated to her.

The LYP choral concert on the 25th of August, tuesday evening, was quite a blast. An estimation of about 90% of tickets were sold for the concert, considering the fact that only 60% were sold on 4 days prior. That was good. Really good. Like my other fellow choristers at the concert, my thanks go out to those who supported the concert in one way or another, like either buying the ticket and watching us, or helped promote and keeping the concert in their prayers. Major thanks to you wonderful people. Domo arigato gozaimas’!

A pity I did not stay for long as I had to leave after the first part due to my nose being overly sensitive; causing me to sneeze constantly or to sniffle every 5 seconds or so. It was better for me to leave or else I would had gotten weird stares from the audience. Lol. Roughly 24 hours after the performance, bits and pieces of the six movements were stuck in my head, from the time I woke up till my head touched the pillow again. Man, it was like an addiction. Haha!

It was a really wonderful experience singing with strangers, not including the ex-school mates, in the concert hall, working with these similar choir-minded people for about two months. Thanks. I do not mind doing this again even though it was a bit tiring, it being an extra load on top of my usual duties, but it was certainly fun. Something new.

I recently bought myself two new musical instruments. Well, these two are not exactly new “new”; in the sense of being recently invented instruments. These two are new – to me. These two had been around since time immemorial… OK. I was exaggerating but these instruments had been around for several centuries. I got the Sopranino recorder (:D) and a Fife when I was at Yamaha Music. Go Google or Wiki these two if you do not know what I am talking about. The fife is just like the piccolo but perhaps a little bit thicker than the other. With the help of the finger-chart that comes with the instrument, I am teaching myself how to play it. The fingerings are easy to handle. The only tricky bit is the shape of the lips when blowing into/across the mouthpiece and maintaining the shape. More practice is needed. My next conquest is the Tenor recorder and my gosh, it costs a lot, about SGD 100. Remind me to borrow my colleague’s Yamaha membership card when I go buy it. I think meself a little bit nuts. Hahahaha! Whatever. But do you not agree that it is fun to learn a new instruement? Hee.

It has been two weeks since my co-form left the school for her studies at N*E, leaving me behind to handle all the unruly classes, especially with our form class. Sigh. Well, they assigned another co-form for me. This class is quite a bunch to handle, especially where discipline is concerned. May God help me, I have another one term to go. *Deep breath, in… out… in… out…*

This coming week is already the end of term, kicking off with ACES Day/Teachers’ Day celebrations on monday where my form class will be doing a kickboxing session with the other classes in the level before moving on to some other hush-hush activities being planned and carried out by the children. Oh well… As long as I get to have some time to key in the results to CASA or else some people will be chasing after me. Hahaha! Ladiladidah…

Do not think there is any more wanderings to add in.

Till next time, take care!

Majulah Singapura!

To my wonderful and ever “kiasu” country which I am proud to call home.

Happy 44th Birthday!!!

May God bless us all with many more happy, peaceful, prosperous and progressive years to come.

Did you take the pledge at 8:22p.m? I did.

Majulah Singapura!

Baka Neko and I had an interesting conversation…

Baka Neko and I had an interesting conversation via SMS a few days ago. The topic was on making farewell cards/gifts.

Ooh. Lunch w ur HOD. Rite. Dun 4get to clear ur table.

I’m clearing it since ytd. Haha. But there’s nth much to clear also.

Haha. Well, u can start making thank u cards/gifts then.

Yup, I’ll be doing tt soon. I will go and buy presents tmr.

Dun 4get mine. Wahahaha!!!

Haha. I’ll give u if I’ve left over gifts ok? Heehee…

-.- left overs. So not sincere. No personalise gift one…

Haha. Ok. I’ll see what I can do tmr. If I manage to do something for you, I’ll pass it to you on fri.

Aww… How touching. Baka Neko Mayb doing smth for me. -.- Wahahaha!!!

Are you ok? You sound like you’ve became insane. Haha.

HahaHahaHaha!!! I shall type your response on FB. Haha!!!

What? Siao!

[And the conversation moved on to another topic]

So, did I get the left over presents??? Obviously, the answer is no. Such a naughty girl. All I got was a few nibbles of the Extra Fine Dark Chocolate she received from her students. -.-…

A Quick One Because I Am Lazy To Type More

Another quick update simply because I am currently too lazy to type a long post and I am simply thinking of hitting the sack pretty soon.

Today was the day my classmates and I were not looking forward to and neither was it looked forward to. Today marked the last day of being together as a class; it was the sort-of graduation for us. For nearly four whole years, we had been stuck together, weathering all sorts of storms, both internal and external, since our days, three years, at N*FA and the remaining days at N*E. Let us just say that today was rather solemn, besides the fact that this day marked the official date we entered the ‘force’.

Yes, the ‘force’. We were called into the ‘force’. The ‘force’ is not a job for the faint-hearted as there are many challenges that are not listed in the job-description. Many challenges, indeed. Serious. In this line of work, one must have the courage to face each day, for each day holds different suprises, and shocks too. I will not go on as I do not intend to put future candidates off. Lol!

Right. Back to FB. By the way, my photos for today’s ceremony is up. Where are yours???

Reviews: Transformers 2 & Ice Age 3

Monday past was a Youth Day holiday and it was the day I and Baka Neko finally went to watch Tranformers 2. FINALLY!!! After so many weeks since it came out in cinemas, *coughs coughs*, OKOK, it was only about two weeks, and many other delays and time-clashes, we went to watch it at the 5.45p.m. screening. From rows A to G, they were completely empty, not only that, the cinema hall was about four-fifths  empty. It was… quite romantic actually. Lol! Like we were the only two in there, but then again, we were so engrossed with the film to realise any other people around. The film was totally amazing. *revered silence* In fact, it was so awesome that I was sort of blown away. The details were so … detailed (laughs) especially in the beginning scenes where the Autobots were transforming into their real identities to fight the Decepticons. Every little part and mechanism was seen in a close up. It was so … real. *revered silence, again* Oh. I forgot to mention that those cars featured were so … awesome. *revered silence again for the third time*

Sadly, I felt that the story plot was rather weak; it was generally along the line of … !!!spoilers alert!!! the Decepticons looking for a sacred thing called the Matrix to power up their sun-feeding/destroying-machine on Earth and how the human hero Sam got involved, again, when he accidentally touched a splinter of the sort of destroyed Cube and received a whole lot of strange words whirling in his head that the enemies need in order to find the Matrix. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen can be generally said to be an action-packed race around the world colliding with machinery. The only good points this films have is that there are a lot of sacrifices being made for the greater good, like how Optimus Prime died while saving Sam during a fight in the woods, and the huge hope Sam has in the Matrix to bring Optimus Prime back to life. In the end, good did roll over evil although at a slower speed. 15omins for oogling at sleek cars and fine details. This is dream heaven to the geeks.

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On the day after, Evan and I went to watch Ice Age 3 in 3D format at 6.50p.m., a time when many families descended on the cinema and I must say that the experience was rather an interesting one. You see, I had never watched a 3D show till that day. The pictures on the screen seemed to pop-out like in a pop-out book or card. (Note: I used the word “pop-out”, not “leaped out”.) I like the side story of Scrat’s, the prehistoric squirrel’s, whirlwind romance. It was not only funny but cute too. The other issues were rather common ones like how Manny is going to handle his new baby, whether Sid is suitable to be a foster father to his adopted dinosaur babies, how a mother-to-be is always the calm one during emergencies, and finally, the (mismatched) herd that fights together will always stick together.

The 3D glasses were abit of a hassle as I had to hold it onto my nose bridge so that it would stop sliding off. After a while, it got a bit tiring, my nose bridge started to hurt, I began to watch bits of the film without them and it there was not many differences between the two formats. Will I go watch a 3D film again? Yes, if it was a free ticket. Sigh. Cute story but not really nice experience.

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Off to sleep now. By the way, Mum thought I was kind of crazy to be watching two films on two consecutive days. Lol. Oh! And I came down with the flu, only the flu!, after that. I have been on M.C for two days now.

Another thing, I was informed by my colleague that a new timetable is out and I am so going to major HATE my mondays from this week on. Wish me luck.

Ramblings & Recent Wanderings

Day 1 as a full-fledged t*acher was a pure headache. God only knew how much of venom was in me when I had to deal with those little worms. Infact, thanks to the time-tabling, I had most of the N(A) and N(T) that day. Why must it be like that??? Aargh!!! God must have a plan for me and a lesson for me to learn. And yes, I will learn it well. Gambatte!

Day 2, which is today, was slightly better as I met the E classes. I do hope that they will be a massive joy to teach as their behaviours told me that they were the serious kind, unlike some the monkeys that I saw yesterday. Unfortunately, one E class struck me as quite quiet. Looks like I got to do more for them to be less life-less.

Well, I headed to the west this mid morn to collect certain important things from N*E before heading over to N*FA with Jwen and girls to get the choral score from Dr. GTC before walking across the road to our favourite noodles place. Oh help… I so miss Campus 3!!! I hope to have back in my life a bit more of music making that will be taking place every sunday late afternoon until the 25th of August, 2009, Tuesday. And so… Advertisment time!!!

Zechariah Music presents…
Leong Yoon Pin – A Choral Odyssey
25th August 2009 @ Esplanade Concert Hall
Tickets (excluding Sistic charges): $15, $20, $30
All secondary schools, JCs, ITEs and CI are eligible for the TOTE Board Arts Grant for Schools
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Please support! Bring your students! Bring your parents! Bring your girlfriends and/or boyfriends!! Come one come all!!!

Warning: This advertising is done for free and by the freewill of the author.