The One with the Singapore Idol taunt

I received a tag on my board from a competitor for Singapore Idol 2006. Dear Dear I was thinking about entering the superband organised by Channel U. Anyway we can call ourselves...
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Your Band Name is:

The Fishy Officers

BandName Generator

Cool huh?? Evn though I don't know how the "fish" came about?? (Pun unintended) As a teacher-student duo, we have a better chance of winning or worst a better chance of humiliating ourselves. Haha!!

Update:
Stupid SI 2006, it is for people below age 30 which I am just like a couple of months way off the mark. Maybe there will be a SI for veterans (30 and above)

The One with the all the unpacking

I have to admit that I had not unpacked in my new school. 5 boxes of stuff still at my little cubicle collecting dust since my trip to Gentings.

The trip to Sembawang seems like a long one albeit a 20 minute drive, but the thought of sitting there, doing my lonesome unpacking without my familiar colleagues is kinda of unsettling

A student whom I still maintain sms contact remarked "it is always like this, I put in so much in a friendship and it always happen like this ( separation)" While I tried my best to console this student, deep inside I am have the same amount of trepidation and uneasiness (seems like a wierd combination though) It will be in just a week time where I will be seeing students other than the familiar blue pinafores which had greeted me for the past 5 years. I will also not be seeing the all familiar faces in the staffroom with their "how was your holidays?" as such small talk with candour, I will also not be patronising the all so familiar toa payoh food stalls or even the famous char kway teow just outside school during weekday lunch which had so become part of my routine for the past 3 years. No more morning hymms, daily praise to the Lord and of course the awkward silence when the national anthem is being played.

Next week would be a busy one, from 27 -30 Dec, it is jam packed ith school activities, with a good fren's wedding smack inbetween. And I will finally find the time to finally unpack and to settle down in the school. It will be a different experience, something which I am trying my best to cope. Drop me a line ok? Or a friendly sms. For it is now, especially so near end of the holiday season when I sometime feel lonely.

Your 2005 Song Is

Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson "But since you've been gone I can breathe for the first time I'm so moving on" In 2005, you moved on.

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

Poignant?

The One when I stayed up late

It is 2.25 am, Christmas morning, as I typed my thoughts on my laptop on the comfort of my bed.

Just came back from watching the movie with a couple of friends, those who I had been talking about, friends since my secondary school days. In another 2 years, we will be, well, celebrating our 20 years of friendship. Seems like a long long time. and as I always says, friends made in secondary school are usually there for keeps. I am one good example.

As the years goes by, I find myself lacking more and more in the Christmassy spirit and of course the fun-lovingsy mood. There were no wild parties or night out. Dinner was a quite affair with a couple of my friends and family. There was the turkey bought from carrefour, the homemade pasta, the mash potatoes and the salad. For dessert we had the x mas log cake from swensens- which by the way was way too much rum. After movie, we popped by Maxwell market for drinks ( and i mean non alcoholic) and started planning for another friend's wedding coming on the 28th december.

My girl girl needs her sleep and we were back by 2am. I feel that I am really getting old and, more and more family oriented.

Anyway just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the girls, Germaine, Jaclyn, Zoe for their greeting cards, and Huajia, felicia for their x mas smses. Sorry if I miss your, it is unintentional...

My pet dog trafford also want to say hi and merry x mas to all.

Merry Christmas everyone! Anyway got this shamelessly from another website Very farny, the Hokkien version for X mas

Trafford posing beside the X mas tree my wife decorated

The one with the NKF XXX organisation saga

I know that by writing this, I am opening up myself to be potentially slammed by people. But just want to give my two cents worth.

Disclaimer: I should not be using any form of name calling and harsh remarks but I will be just using a great book as I realise that the episode seem to have SOME parallels. I made some changes to the original text. Maybe it do not make sense to some, so perhaps you should start reading the original. Please bear with me..

Some issues involved:

1) Money saved was never shared and given to the beneficiaries

The farm was more prosperous now, and better organised: it had even been enlarged by two fields which had been bought from Mr. Pilkington. The windmill had been successfully completed at last, and the farm possessed a threshing machine and a hay elevator of its own, and various new buildings had been added to it. Whymper had bought himself a dogcart. The windmill, however, had not after all been used for generating electrical power. It was used for milling corn, and brought in a handsome money profit. The animals were hard at work building yet another windmill; when that one was finished, so it was said, the dynamos would be installed. But the luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream, the stalls with electric light and hot and cold water, and the three-day week, were no longer talked about. Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The truest happiness, he said, lay in working hard and living frugally.

2) paperwork was never transparent, people complain also no use, terms used were semantic

Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer-except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs. Perhaps this was partly because there were so many pigs and so many dogs. It was not that these creatures did not work, after their fashion. There was, as Squealer was never tired of explaining, endless work in the supervision and organisation of the farm. Much of this work was of a kind that the other animals were too ignorant to understand. For example, Squealer told them that the pigs had to expend enormous labours every day upon mysterious things called "files," "reports," "minutes," and "memoranda." These were large sheets of paper which had to be closely covered with writing, and as soon as they were so covered, they were burnt in the furnace. This was of the highest importance for the welfare of the farm, Squealer said. But still, neither pigs nor dogs produced any food by their own labour; and there were very many of them, and their appetites were always good.

3) people in support who did not get the same treatment as some.

But just at that moment, as though at a signal, all the sheep burst out into a tremendous bleating of- "Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better!"

It went on for five minutes without stopping. And by the time the sheep had quieted down, the chance to utter any protest had passed, for the pigs had marched back into the farmhouse.

Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder. He looked round. It was Clover. Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever. Without saying anything, she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn, where the Seven Commandments were written. For a minute or two they stood gazing at the tatted wall with its white lettering.

"My sight is failing," she said finally. "Even when I was young I could not have read what was written there. But it appears to me that that wall looks different. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be, Benjamin?"

For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. It ran:

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

4) the higher management was ripping off the people

After that it did not seem strange when next day the pigs who were supervising the work of the farm all carried whips in their trotters. It did not seem strange to learn that the pigs had bought themselves a wireless set, were arranging to install a telephone, and had taken out subscriptions to John Bull, TitBits, and the Daily Mirror. It did not seem strange when Napoleon was seen strolling in the farmhouse garden with a pipe in his mouth-no, not even when the pigs took Mr. Jones's clothes out of the wardrobes and put them on, Napoleon himself appearing in a black coat, ratcatcher breeches, and leather leggings, while his favourite sow appeared in the watered silk dress which Mrs. Jones had been used to wear on Sundays.

The web of lies and deceit, the whole truth is finally out, I am glad that being a critical armchair critic(?) of the organisation had finally paid off. Don't get me wrong, I am not at all proud or happy with this, I am just glad that those who supported the organisation ever so religiously now know that all their hard earned money do not really go the people they cared about. And of course the people who spend more time doing fundraising than helping. This saga had devastated singaporean faith on the fund raising vehicle and of course the whole idea of helping the underpriveleged. Singaporeans are generally kind at heart, and I wondered how long this sour aftertaste will linger in the minds of the people.

Singapore Idol 2

31 dec 2005, Feb 2006.

Maybe I should take part...

What should I sing?

"Hey Baby" and of course my infamous dance routine. (whom another colleague said it looks suspiciously like the Axe gang dance in Kungfu Hustle)

And I know there is an exIJ girl who should also take part (*wink wink)

Maybe we can take part together, you know like those talented boybands or girly groups.

Sorry got to take my Valium.....

The one where trafford is found

After writing the previous entry, i received a phonecall and it was a man who said he found trafford.
Thank God We are reunited!
Trafford look tired and wary. He has been wandering for 1 week
Let's hope he is ok tomorrow...

The one where I lost Trafford

It has been a week since I lost the dog. Actually by no fault of my own. (OK kinda of a little) when we left the door open with the inviting lure of the outside world last tuesday. My missus was actually planning a short outing to East Coast Park with my nephew and we were all at Jurong West when this unfortunate accident happen. I was not there to witness this for I was busy doing my research at NTU/NIE library for my long overdue assignment. But anyway, I received a phonecall telling me that Trafford was missing and I rushed down to Jurong West to search.

After a frantic 2 hour plus search, with relevant calls to the relevant authorities to report the loss of our dog, we decided to call it quits. We were again there on Wednesday, and Thursday and were intending to just rest for Friday when we again received a tip-off from some residents who spotted Trafford roaming on the streets of Jurong West again. But again it was in vain as by the time I rushed down from my home ( which is like from another part of Singapore) the dog was already nowhere to be found.

It had been a gloomy week for me and my family, for Trafford has always been regarded as family. My mom can't sleep as trafford would always snuggle behind her at night (for it seems that he is afraid of the dark). My dad missed his display of affection (ie tail wagging, and of course the obligatory "carrying") as he come home from work. My sister cried when she heard the bad news and was busy trying to get her friends from online dog lovers forums to help out. My wife was perhaps the most upset for she felt she was the guilty one who was neglient and did not look after Trafford and thus allowed him to run off.

I am actually pretty upset and unhappy about certian things that are happening but I am just going to reserve my comments about what I saw when I am in a better mood and less antagonistic to write it down on my blog. :)

Please keep Trafford in your prayers and hope that we will find him real soon. It is X mas and it will be the most wondrous X mas present if he can be back...

The One about the poem about the boy who lived

I got this at the Track and Field Farewell, I know it happens like eons ago, but I promise to write about it.
Thanks Wei Xin and Natalie for writing this beautiful poem. Made me feel like a superstar :P

The Boy who lived

Listen for a minute

It won't take a lot of time

I won't talk much about it

I'm just trying to rhyme

Tonight's subject

is one of curiosity

He's not an American reject

Nor does he commit atrocities

He likes to speak spaghetti

He's pal with Mussolini

He likes to dance and sing

Together with Sun Yat Sen

Old friends, he is, with Lenin

Chairman Mao and Stalin

They all died infamously

But it was not a tragedy

For among them all

He was the boy who lived

Now he stands quite tall

Respect what he has achieved

Look amongst you

For the one I speak about

If your guess is through

Give a try and shout it out!

Thanks so much again!

The one about Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (REVISED)

Just came back from the 9 plus show at Bishan and I just have to blog about the movie. I know it is stale news for some people. I really can;t find the time to really blog about about stuff. Coupled with the fact that my desktop is down and I am writing this on my extremely slow laptop which is dying on me, I got to get this really fast.

Interesting and entertaining movie if you are not a Potter fan, The book itself already provide a wonderful script for the movie, but my personal take is that it totally massacre the book. I know that some of the stuff in the book cannot be reproduced on the big screen on a shoe string budget, but isn't this the purpose of adaptations? I was hoping that the movie could reproduce the magic and followed the books faithfully like in movie 1 and 2 and all i got was a jigsaw of scenes which would make little sense for those who are watching the movie without any prior knowledge of the book itself. The emphasis was also on the Ball which was actually a useful distraction in the actual book. In the movie it was like one of the big scenes. It is really too much when they had the rock concerty thing going on. Muggle music? There was also the first 60 plus pages of the book which was abbreviated to like 2 minutes of the movie. In the end it didn't make much sense to all.

(Edited) Not to spoil the fun of those who have watched it and yet able to show my unhappiness of how the book failed to capture the essence of the story, I will try to give as much as I can the discrepancies between book and movie


1) Harry Potter got to know about the Gillyweed for his 2nd task for the Tri Wizard Tournament not from Neville Longbotttom as mentioned in the movie but from Dobby the house elf

2) When the death mark was apparently shot in the sky, the confrontation occur when Winky, a house elf was holding Harry Potter's wand, this was not shown in the movie

3) The whole scene about Harry learning the Summons spell before the first test of the Tri wizard tournanment was not shown.

4) Malfoy was changed into a ferret much earlier in the encounter with Mad Eye Moody

5) The whole Quidditch world cup was vividly illustrated in the novel but was over in like 2 sec in the movie.

6) The opening scene of the first encounter with Voldermort , when Harry woke up, he should have been at his muggle home with his Uncle's family in Privet Drive.

There is just so much to say. I am just disgruntled after my attempt to read the book the second time ( tll about 100 plus odd pages) that it didnt have any impact to the viewing. I am glad I went into the movie hall expecting to be entertained for I certainly did. But I was horribly sad for Rowlings, as I don;t know what will happen to the next big screen adaptation, granting that the Order of the Phoenix isn't really a good script to start with.

I will be getting my comp fixed hopefully by the weekend and till then I will try to blog a little before I leave for Genting Highlands.

Anyway if you have anything about the movie, HP and the GOF that is different from what you read, please feel free to use the tagboard or even the comments page.

The One about the new school and new work space

It has been a busy week for me and I have surprisingly find little time to blog. Was in my new school, presently at the skirt of some industrial areas unpacking my stuff. My new table awaits.





It is definitely much bigger that what I had so far in IJ and of course it has a nice window view which you would not be able to see it from this angle which i am taking the shot. But so far I am still having a hard time making the trip to school and bring my stuff over. It is a lot of junk that I have accumulated over the years.

Will try to blog more but I am getting lethargic by the day.. Must be the old age :P

The one about the prom night pictures

I have just woken up in the middle of the afternoon. The late nights talks and the emotions of the Grad night somehow got the better of me. I am having this sense of emptiness. Anyway will blog about all this when I am finally "awake"

For my sec 4 and sec 5 students, please spread the message to send me the photos ( in .jpeg or .gif format) to my email mrng@teacher.com. Will be extremely grateful.

Got a wedding dinner to attend. See ya soon.

The Ego One

The one about the time to leave

Potential long post, on my random thoughts.

Finally I can put behind the turmoils that has been going through my mind for the past few months. Now I can finally let loose my feeling and announced to the IJ community.

Yes the rumours are true, I am leaving IJ. I have infact on various occasions hinted my imminent departure. But perhaps my usually tongue in cheek manner and delivery always made things obscure. And yes finally after 5 years of services to IJ, I finally pick up the courage to move on to something new, to climb my own Everest. It is one of the most painful and most difficult decision thatI have to make throughout my whole adult life till now.

They said familiarity breed contempt, I say familiarity creates bonds, it builds emotions, it creates emotional ties that is hard to break. I never thought that I will be making the move, as I was so emotionally attached to the school, "simple in virtue, steadfast in duty" and to think that I actually resented the fact that I was posted to IJ when I first joined to school in 2000. But the school, the people, the colleagues, the culture, and You every unique IJ girl won me over, bit by bit.

My decision to leave was made in June 2005 and everything is finally confirmed in september 2005. That was when I decided to try to stay distant, it is not that I don't care but I was hoping that it will be easier then for me to finally really pack up and go. I am actually glad that the one month plus of O levels will be a good cooling off period for me. And the cooling off period have allowed me to decide when I should finally say goodbye to all. Maybe I should just recollect the things that were happening to me. It has been a difficult few months for me. It was difficult for me to make the decision to keep everything a secret and pretend that everything is ok.

Forgive me for not telling you all especially the sec 4 and my form class and for spoiling such a wonderful thing during the PAE briefing, for I didn't know what type of impact it will have on all of you. For the rest of the other class and my CCA girls and those who have worked with me, sorry for choosing to "fade away" like this... Sorry that I am so egoistic and think that the departure of the form teacher will affect the performance of my sec 4s. forgive me for my delusion if that was so untrue.

Please do not say I am heartless, please do not say I don't care, for I have devoted 5 years of undivided attention and service to IJ. And I think, in this, I have shown myself to be a loyal servant to the school. I have no regrets, well actually just one, is that I won't be there to give the piece of the O level results slip to my sec 4/4 girls. That in my opinion would have been a perfect closure to an amazing 2 years as their form teacher.

I hope that I can keep my emotions during the Grad night. After all it is also my graduation night - an end to all my bonds with IJ. If I got uncontrollable, please don;t blame me, I am not going to be all macho, I am an IJ boy by the way. :P Maybe the whole class can do something crazy and dance to the beat of "Hey Baby". That will be cool... :P

On 2 Jan 2006, I will devote my attention to a new group of students, to build bonds with a new group of colleagues, to serve a new school. And once again, I would like to thank IJ for the wonderful memories. The chapter is now closed, for the sec 4s, go on and find your own sky and rest assured that even though I am no longer an IJ teacher, I will always be part of IJ from the bottom of my heart.

The one about the end of the O level exams

As i am writing this very moment, there will be students counting down the hours to the end of the O Levels. By 3 pm tomorrow, all of the IJ sec 4 will be free!

in fact it seems like yesterday when we started 2005, when the teachers like myself were worried that whether the students will be up to the task. There is always the comparision with the "last year batch" , and how this present lot will better them. Remedials, tons of worksheets, lectures, tests, retests, re-re-tests, scoldings, desperation, despair, frustration... all this were part and parcel of a sec 4 teacher, synonymous to the sec 4 cohort. I think they will be glad to put all these behind them now...

However, this also mean the end of a chapter in IJ for them. The empty classrooms, the corridors devoid of the usual bustle and hustle. And realising that there is only the sec 4s to share that feeling of leaving behind the 4 or 10 years of convent school life to chart new directions ahead.

I am ambivalent about this last few hours of the end of the O levels. My responsibilities officially ended on 24 November 2005, after the grad night. This is when I am no longer 4/4 2005 form teacher, and a sec 4 additional maths teacher or even a sec 4 social studies / history teacher. It is when I await a new chapter to begin. The future is uncertain...

The one about kena-ing tomorrowed

Some people ( blogders I hope) apparently find my post on my car amusing and they send it to the editors of tomorrow, and now it is recommended! Anyway a little about tomorrow, it is actually a bulletin for singapore bloggers and it showcases interesting, up-to-date happening about things in Singapore.

Thanks to the "Anonymous Coward" who submitted my blog entry.

And now I can proudly say.................................

*sob* will continue to write more interesting articles...

Cheers

The Ego One

Work

Work can be impersonal
Well it is never personal in any way but sometimes it can be a bit pain in the a** when it come to bureacratic BS.
Imagine you are like less than 5 freaking meters from someone (Let's call her X for this scenario) and she called you over and said "hey I need something from you and I left you an email" Take about top-secret stuff and when you look for an available computer, login, open the internet explorer, type in the url and then your password, and when you open the mail (finally after like 12min), you received a less than 20word message for a couple of documents and paper.

Talk about these stupid ways of bureacratic communication.

Next time they will thank you via email instead of face to face.

Anything to say?

The one when my car was decorated

I know this is really long overdue. But I only managed to get the pictures like just now. Wanted to share with all.

On the last day of school which was like 2 weeks ago, I was given a rude/pleasant surprise from my girls in the RMUNC 2005. In case you are wondering what RMUN is, it is an annual competition known as the Raffles Model United Nations Conference organised by RJC. This competition is more of an adhoc thing in IJ as there is never a formal team; ie we only formed a team or two about a couple months before the competition. Anyway the girls are going to take part in the conference in New York next March. It would be a wonderful exposure for them.

Anyway talking about the surprise, the girls spend so much time and effort that I feel the need to "immortalise" it in my blog...


Look what my girls did to my bao-bei car... :S


Look what they place on my car - a big red card, a small wood block which had the words "IJ 05 RMUN" and two giant bouquet of flowers.


A close up of the "IJ 05 RMUN"


A close up of the bouquets


Rear view

Anyway we drove the car out for a spin with all the "accessories" and there was like a 5 m radius around my car.

To my RMUN girls, thanks for the wonderful gesture. All the best for your New York trip!

To the sec 4s

All the best for the O Levels!

Don't worry too much about the SS paper tomorrow. Just remember what you have been told so far.

Don't panic.
Manage your time properly
Write your essays well K?

I will be there to give you guys moral support.

Mr Ng

I watched Zorro last night at Bishan Junction 8. The palce is so crowded that it seems like the whole Singapore population from the Northern part of Singapore had all gathered there. In fact the quiet and cozy place was the cinemas. It seems like it is not a popular show. Or it has been on the screens too long. The cinema theatre was only half full.

It was a great show if it was not interrupted by incessant sms-es from desperate who would like yo know how to answer a "reliability" question or why I had awarded her with the marks but wrote down "weak weighing of factors". As i mentioned in my previous entry I have no problems helping, but.... I need to celebrate Deepavali.. Sigh :p

Updated
I shall not entertain any more essays from today. 20 emails per day asking for help is too much to bear.

The thing about Packing and Unpacking

Recently, with the results out and the students, san the sec 4 leaving to enjoy their ill deserved holidays, the teachers in the various staffrooms are busy packing for the new school. In fact this is a painful process as after going through that two and a half years ago, we are going through the same process of doing that again. Of course it felt better as now we are in anticipation of a newer, more modern staffroom ( yes and that means a staffroom with a proper kitchenette attached and not the long kampung bench that the teachers are so used to for the past few years.)

Surprising, most of us are reacting to the return ambivalently; While some look forward to the modern facilities as compared to the run down state of the holding school, many especially in my staffroom will really miss the wonderful times that we had together. A lot of teachers love the morning air and the vast greenery in the Thomson campus. The long leisure walks which could kill in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun and of course the thought of sharing the habitats of birds, squirrels, mosquitoes and of course (gasp) snakes! In fact there are some who are apprehensive about coming back to one big staffroom after some many years working independently of each other in three different staffrooms, where 3 starkly different working cultures had emerged. There will bound to be conflicts and of course, there will be the occasional bickerings. It won't be easy but we will try, and we can make it work.

However I must conclude, the past few years had been memorable, especially in a staffroom where it was really like a big family. It was during this few years that I got to know a couple of my colleagues better, and of course made real good friends. It is in this small but yet cozy environment that I got to know a fellow colleague so much better. I will definitely miss the monday morning jibes on the latest progess of our favourite EPL teams, the late afternoon sharings sessions with my colleagues and the saturday stressfree mornings where you just "indulge" your time in the staffroom marking books/assignments, writing and preparing lessons, with the stereos blasting.

It is also through this painful process that we discovered something - teachers are sentimental beings. A couple of colleagues, myself inclusive still have our Practicum files ( when we first started teaching) with us hidden in some dusty corners which we will not have realised if we didn't start packing. Although the syllabus had changed, content had changed, we still hold on to that file, for it reminds us of the hard work we had gone through then. Of course there were also boxes which remained unopen since we first moved in and that it will returned to Toa Payoh Campus in their pristine form. Going trough the massive stuff of mess also uncovered things like - my sec 2 maths notebook when I started teaching maths 4 years ago, a stack of sec 3/4 adventure camp consent form, an envelope containing tens of dollars in coins!, sec 4/3 2003 prelim results etc.. "Archaeological searches" had also uncovered cards, thanks you notes, little souvenirs and of course years of photographs and magazine clippings of past events and people. They only served to remind us how things have changed, how we had aged and of course how we had mellowed down over the years...

As I bring back the bits and pieces of stuff- books, files and souvenirs, that is when i realised that all this is all that I am left with...in 3 years of life in the Thomson Campus.

The thing about teachers

I enjoyed a particular article by a fellow blogger teacher so much that I feel that i should write my two cents worth.

As she has mentioned, it is difficult for teachers to be treated as normal human being as we are constantly placed on a pedestal where in fact many seemingly normal activities are taboo for teachers. It is only in teachers' blogs or even teacher's diaries ( if you are so competent to lay your hands on) that you get the real confessions of teachers who are bitchy, frustrated, angry, and errr... normal.

So what do we do that is different from others? Pretty much no, I for example, eat, sleep, blog and shit, much like a normal person. As teachers, we are pretty much the role models that people want/wish/fantasize that we will be. As a colleague once said, "We are not expected to be role models, we are supposed to be role models" Profound but yet true.

But then again, I would like to confess the things that a "normal" teacher would "normally" do...

1) Swear
I don't mean telling the truth to God, but well it is kinda like telling God and of course more importantly to the people around you how you feel about certain things. I sometimes find it an irony as we are not expected to swore (pun intended) off the lexicon of obscenities like the ever favourable F***, KNNBCCB, B****, S*** (sorry if I go beyond the NC 16 to R18) But then again I was well trained in the army and I find it a pity to give it all up just because it was socially wrong for a teacher to do so as we are providing the wrong role models. Well I just have to say it with bated breath and make sure my students and colleagues are at least like 30m away from me.

2)Party
I know there are teachers who drink and drink and drunk and love to go to the most happening spots. There is abslutely nothing wrong with that. In fact teachers are known to be people who know when to have fun. It is just that in front of students, we need to put up a front and put on a disapproving look everytime when we feel that the situation is getting a little wee bit outrageous. But trust us, we do know when to have a good time. In fact, the teachers are going to have a party known as "Rough it out @ St Raphael", where the teachers will be letting their hair down on Friday at St Raphael's Staffroom. And ONLY teachers are invited. No gatecrashing students allowed. Now who say we don't have fun?

So enjoy what you discover in cyberspace, for in schools we are abnormal. Well kinda...

The thing about Giggling and Giggling and Giggling....... (cont'd)

Giggling girls overheard in my voicemail.
Can only mean 1 thing.
Some loose cannons out from Woodbridge...
Or....
Stressed up IJ girls

The horror of the GCE O levels

Desperation

Desperation has a new meaning... it is called bombarding Mr Ng with SS essays.

Much that I would love to help all of you out. But I am only 1 man, 1 teacher... sigh..

I admire the perserverence of the students who would tirelessly bring their essays from home to school to let me mark and critique them. I can only say sorry if I am not able to handle ALL at such a short notice.

Maybe I was too ambitious, maybe I was just plain stupid for not realising that IJ gitls CAN be hardworking at the last min of the exams.

Anyway no matter what I will try my best to finish whatever I have been given.

Just be a little bit appreciative that I am giving you that attention...

Signed
The Overworked, Under Paid teacher.

How much is my blog worth??

My blog is worth $12,984.42.
How much is your blog worth?

I need the extra cash... Nai Fen Qian (milk powder money)... Hee Hee

The Thing about Exams and Post Exams

I've finished all my markings! Actually I have done it like eons ago. Marking the Sec 3 History Elective Paper was a breeze.

Let me introduce to you a very interesting formula
Minimal effort in study = Minimal effort in marking for the teachers + heart pain for the students

Anyway yesterday was Judgement Day for the Sec 3 History students.

In the not very conducive environment where students have nothing but good memories ( ie the tuckshop) A colleague and I started the painful (for the students) yet painless (for the teachers) of giving the exam scripts back to the students for checking.

This is where the exciting chattering stops, the facial changes and of course the sometimes superficial nonchalant expression. I was a student once and I totally understand how a student feel --- dreadful. That is what the students dread, in a way. To them, it's like Judgement Day. When the teacher hands back the script to them, the numbers etched in red ink on the front page would inevitably bring about tsunamis and earthquakes of emotions.

So far, I have always watched these happen rather nonchalantly at the beginning. The scene played out before me is always the same. Quiet and nervous silence while waiting for their names to be called to take their papers. Once they got their papers, those who thought they did well would let out a jubilant yelp of success. Some would allow themselves a more moderate grin of satisfaction. I might be able to catch a neutral sigh of relief from a few.

Those who didn't do well would sit there stunned and expressionless for a while. And after that few moments of peer comparisons, and when reality had sunk in deep enough, they would start dabbing their eyes. For the more affected ones, tears would stream down.

Watching these unfold before my eyes, the humane side of me would then be moved slightly by their emotions. While in my heart I revel in the joys of some, I also feel for those who failed and were thoroughly disappointed.

Some of those who failed did not deserve to be like that. But they somehow fell to exam stress and mental block. They have been doing their classwork and assignments diligently. Some have been felled by poor study techniques, especially those who banked on memorising alone.

I've done whatever in my professional capacity to award them the marks they deserve. But they just couldn't make it. They just have to learn to be resilient. That's life.

Well at least they bother about their studies enough to feel some disappointment with failure. There are some kids who are totally indifferent, and could even joke and laugh with their friends with failure nudged into their faces.

Maybe they thought that they will have a second chance. Maybe they thought that things will be ok….

Maybe they can try again, next year? Or will it be an avalanche of emotions which replayed this over again.

Maybe.. Maybe it will be …. Maybe it will not. Who knows?

The thing about Leaving Certificates and Testimonials

I have finished my markings. Well actually quite long ago. And now I am so buried in writing out testimonials and comments on the leaving certificates for my graduating class.

It is perhaps the most interesting and tedious part of being a teacher, for you have to just think of all the "wonderful" things that the students have done and as another fellow graduating class form teacher said, composed stories a-la-Rowling. In fact we have this silly competition how many short feature stories we can write before school ends. In fact it is always during writing testimonials and leaving certificates ( not that I have written for many years) that I realised how much or how little I knew about this particular student of mine, or how grossly mistaken I was about the student. To my sanity and my integrity, I found that i have at least something good to write about everyone thankful to a wonderful idea from a senior teacher who told his form class to write comments about each other. At least in this way I am not too "off" with my comments.

Nonetheless there will be episodes where I will be just doing this


pondering in front of my laptop which I have been vegetating for the past few days (surprising though very little people have been coming back to ask me about SS or History or A Maths for the matter... I must hav been a great teacher!! :S) where I pondered over the words I need to use and what to say about so and so. At times when my thoughts are inexpressible ( if there is a word for that), I like to, then, take a memory lane where I fast forwarded the things that had happened and zoomed in on the things that I witnessed about the girl, or the few if any conversations I have with her... Then I will replay it in my mind in slo-mo. the memories are.
Sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes hurting, sometimes happy, sometimes hilarious, sometimes just plain. It is then I tried to give my take on the issue and "judge" the girl based on what i remember. Yes it is unfair at times and yes it doesn't really tell a whole story, but I think I have been accurately in most times.

As for my writing style, I try to be not too sacarastic with my comments and of course give a positive spin to the not very pleasant things. Well as all know I am not really fantastic ( I did get a C6 for GP) but you know I am great at coming up with story. ( Come see the next Harry Potter in the making!!) And of course I tried to write the easiest ( ie alot to write about and easiest to write) and leave the "challenging" ones to the last.

Make a wild guess, whose leaving certificate is the first and the last to be written for? Results will be announced in a later post and of course the winner will get a special prize during grad night. Just leave a note on the post...


Your sincerely, Just Kidding Rowling

We are that blogger...

Find this interesting and meaningful. My take and my bit of contribution on the meme


Who are you?

I'm that guy who believe in love at first sight. It meant literally I fall in love with anyone, anything (*gasp) in my JC years.

I'm that guy who rushed to his girlfriend's place during his NS days before going home.

I'm that guy who girls used to say I am great as a friend but never as a boyfriend

I'm that guy who never pass a single Add Maths Test in Sec 3 and now end up teaching Add Maths (*gasp)

I'm that guy who decided to study Arts in NUS after his GP tutor said his Engrish is too bad to be an arts student. And the best part was that he got a C6 for GP and end up graduating with Honours in History.

I'm that guy who love trivialities and where can you find them most other than history?

I'm that guy who still fear thrill rides and horror movies.

I'm that guy who will just burst into tears when I hear Collin Raye "Love Me" for it remind me of my late grandparents who love me so much.

I'm that guy who did AEP bcause it seems like a soft option. I realised the folly of my decision during the preparation of my AEP project in Sec 4.

I'm that guy who learnt pottery during AEP lessons as he was inspired by the movie "Ghost"

I'm that guy who love and feel the need to control.

I'm that guy that hates economics - micro and macro inclusive.

I'm that guy who has no recollection of his JC life because he choose to forget that painful times.

I'm that guy that hates smokers, for it is was smoking that took the life of his beloved grandmom.

I'm that guy who spend hours , day after day in the VS AEP studio, and even have a set of personal keys.

I'm that guy who in a fit of craziness, taught his form class how to dance to the beat of "hey Baby"

I'm that guy who will watch re-runs and re-re-runs of "Friends", because it is hard to let go.

I'm that guy who is too over sentimental and emotional. I am also the one who will keep 4 years worth of teachers' day presents eventhough half of them are just ornamental pieces which don't seem to be in place with any place in my house.

I'm that guy who decided to be a teacher because he had a crush on his History teacher. She was not really pretty but she has this "air" around her that was "intoxicating".

I'm that guy who tried to please everyone and end up asking "who will please me?"

I'm that guy who thinks friends are important.

I'm that guy who wants to be a perfectionist.

I'm that guy who thought that first love was going to last. But it didn't and I have to watch the musical "Cats" alone for we broke up just an hour earlier.

I'm that guy who end up dating only NJ girls (*gasp)

I'm that guy who used to be so cheapskate that he will will buy his girlfriend a brand new walkman (that was the in thing then) and refused to get his sister one.

I'm that guy who buys computer games but never complete them.

I'm the guy that had mood swings and it is not even periodic like some women.

I'm that guy that people called the SNAG but is actually someone who needs to go for an operation to get his oversensitive tear ducts repaired.

I'm that guy who used to think acting was so cool and perform in a couple of drama productions. I used to have aspirations of starting my own drama company, "Light Theatre".

I'm that guy who still harbour a desire to perform again.

I'm that guy who people called "Cheena". It didn't help when you are in the CLDDS and you come to a school where students love to criticise your Engrish pronounciation.

I'm that guy who has been so chivalrous and spend the date as late as he possibly could, send the girl who lives in Jurong by the way and ran after the very last Number 154 bus, so that he could take the very last Number 153 back to Toa Payoh, so that he did not have to take a cab or pay the midnight surcharge (because he can't afford it).

I'm that guy who used to believe his love affair will be liken to a romantic fairy tale love story. and by that, I don't mean the draggy and incestuous Korean love dramas.

I'm that guy who think that it is ok to just "go" when you have fulfilled your purpose in life.

I'm that guy who thought of the perfect name for his unborn child, and one who will be terrible upset if "it" is not a girl.

I'm that guy who will share about the different styles and cultures of funerals of the different dialect groups during wakes.

I'm that guy who people love to hate

I'm that guy who find it easy to love

I'm that guy who find it hard to let go






Yeah, I'm that person. Who are you?

Stalker

I received a voice mail with a couple of girls giggling in the background without saying anything

Omigosh I got a many stalkers!!!

Headache

I am having a splitting headache now.

Aunties and Uncles are having a karaoke cum buffet at the open air amphitheater facing my block.

For the love of God... please get them to stop.

I think I am having vertigo again.....

Arghh.....

Safe in a Crazy World

On the last day of school, I played a short powerpoint slideshow to my form class. It was from a book of pictures on animals which I so "shamelessly" ripped. The book known as the "Blue Day Book" never failed to bring a smile on my face when I am feeling down and need just the motivation to move on with life. Amidst the many things that sometimes just preoccupy or frustrate me.

I just love this song by corrine may which I played as the background music for the slides. It was not very loud as the speakers in the classroom didn't do justice to such a meaningful and lovely song, so I decided to show the lyrics here.

S A F E I N A C R A Z Y W O R L D
Written by Corrinne May Ying Foo

I try to smile my tears away
I try to keep my cool
Oh but one more door gets in my way
I feel like such a fool
Trampled and bitter
My heart just wants to bleed and stop
Believing in me

It feels like nothing is for certain and that nothing comes for free
When they're lowering the curtain
to the theatre of my dreams
I stumble and I crumble and I'm
Sinking to my knees but you
You cradle me

You keep me flying
You keep me smiling
You keep me safe in a crazy world
You understand me
Embrace my fragility
You keep me safe in a crazy world
And in your arms
I find the strength to believe in me again

Noise keeps chasing me
No matter where I go
Oh and life likes pretending that it's
On a TV show
When it's hard to tell what's real
From what the world just wants to preach
You are the voice I seek

You keep me flying
You keep me smiling
You keep me safe in a crazy world
You understand me
Embrace my fragility
You keep me safe in a crazy world
'cause when I'm wrapped up in your arms
Nothing else can touch me
What a wonderful way to recharge
I feel like I can breathe again

You keep me flying
You keep me smiling
You keep me safe in a crazy world
You understand me
Embrace my fragility
You keep me safe in a crazy world
And in your arms
I find the strength to believe in me again




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I think I need to cry....
I hate myself for being so emotional.....

The one about the last episodes of friends

I have been watching re-runs of the widely popular american sitcome "friends" and recently acquired the DVD for the sitcom "Joey"

I laughed through the different episodes and the antics of the characters but usually will stop before I reach the finale episodes. Somehow it is a natural reaction, sometimes it is just that I am so so bad at handling loss.

I didn't want the fun and laughter to end. I didn't want the feeling of loss to overcome me. I didn't want to feel miserable.

But I guess the time is up..... for me to just getting used to see the Friends move on and to follow what Joey did and find new directions in a new place. Maybe it is just the way I see it...

trying is contradictory

hiding is difficult

realisation is painful

And silence is miserable...

The loss of a writer

Updated

In my defence of this "unfortunate" incident, I must say that I didn't know I have so much awe and authority over this poor girl which I have supposedly traumatized. Actually I should have known my hidden potential when xiao-mei-mei tend to stay about a 100m radius everytime I attempt to greet her. As for this, it was totally unintentional, and it was never my wish for her to close down the blog

If all of you know, I do believe in the power of the blogs and i understand it as a outlet for students to express their joys, fears and frustration. If you have been reading my other entry,
you would have known and understood my stance. But then again, I "misused" the power of the teacher. I just didn't realise the cliched phrase of "with great power come great responsibility"

Original
A casual joke and "evil" conspiracy brought about the demise of a talented writer. It is great pity that things had ended up this way, or should I say that I would never expected you to freak out this way. Ending it may seems like a escapist way to you but what you should do is to continue to write for those who care and want to know more about you.

If you know who I am talking about. Look here girl, You may think you are a lousy singer but you have been a wonderful writer.

And that is my 2 cents worth if you have any que -chens? :P

5 things about a teacher

1) They always carry a red pen around, without fail and recognisable from the ink-blotted shirt pockets and "bleeding" pants pockets

2) They almost without fail be either short- or long- or both sighted. Spectacles equal to a scholarly look or so my ah- ma used to say: "more si boon or si wen"

3) They stared at people who are not paying attention to what they are talking

4) They walked into a room and expected everyone to greet them "Good Morning/afternoon/evening so-and-so"

5) Their lives outside school still revolved around students. Wait a minute... teachers don't have lives outside school. :P

And that's my 2 cents worth..

A conversation

the handphone vibrates. Screen display an unfamiliar number. I am always apprehensive about receiving phonecalls from unfamiliar numbers. Promising myself that i will do something stupid a day, I pick up the phone.

"Hi"

"Hello? Is that Mr Ng Wai Kiang?"

I cringed when that man misporonounced my name, I guess he was looking for me

"Yes, and by the way it is Mr Ng Wei...."

"Hi Mr Ng, I called to congratulate you for winning this makeover session with our company"

"Huh? I don't remember taking part in such a competition.."

"Oh Mr Ng, we got your contacts from a lucky draw survey that you did with one of the leading shopping centre. We randomly picked up ten entries and you are one of the lucky ones"

Whoopee. It is sounding more suspicious by the minute

"By the way Mr Ng, we are a new photography company and we would like you and your family members to come for a make over session, absolutely free! So which day would be good for you, this saturday or sunday?"

"You mean I don't have to pay a single cent?"

"Absolutely"

"I don't even have to buy anything to get the free session?"

"No, all you need is to come down to our studio with your family members"

"Hm....I don't think so"

"But why sir? this package would have cost $300 plus and we are giving it for free"

"Nah I don't think I want that. It sound too good to be true... Anyway thank for your offer, please give this once in the lifetime chance to others. Thank you."

I hanged up the phone. The line of stupidity and being lucky seems a very thin one. I guess as you grow older, you become more and more sceptical about things being free. Maybe the reality of life had taught us all too well, there is nothing free in this world.

I guess who else were the other lucky ones?

The Mr Ng's guide to what is a loser?

Many people are interested to know how Mr Ng came up with all this hand signs of a "LOSER". Without any formal training on sign language, I decided to conceive my own signal with the help of many of my students who sometimes displayed traits that will be better expressed with a condescending hand sign than a comment. Trust me sometimes it work better this way.

However the signs will not have its desirable effect if Mr Ng is to give a 1 and a half hour tirade on its meaning and how it is conceived. Thus Mr Ng decided to use visual aids to assist him in the explanation of what are the various types of losers





You are most welcome...

The Last Day

Today is the last day of school for the Sec 4s, the end of the intensive revision.

I asked my class girls whether they have this feeling ( ie sadness) as this will be the last day of official lesson. Many of them seem nonchalant about it. Perhaps the reality has not sinked in..

I have mixed feeling about this day.. on the one hand, I am glad this this is all over and on the other hand, I am also uncertain about the things that will be happening in the near future.

I guess sometimes it is good to look back and reflect on the things that had happen over these frantic months. And ask what will I be missing about the class..

In a candid tone, I guess I will miss:

1) The classroom in its pristine condition and not one that has been struck by Hurricance

2) Walking past the classrooms and see "whorish" ( I really can't find the right word) people sitting on the chairs masquerading as tables (or was it the one way around) such as Amanda Ang, Lynette, Bidina and Charlene

3) hordes of girls asking to go to the toilets hand in hand, or to find a companion to go to do some photocopying as the distance is too long, and you need a companion to talk the long distance away

4) Claire and Alycia Lum falling asleep right under the nose of the teacher. Charlene and Eleanor are close behind in that irritability factor

5) Screams of "Shaddup Lynette!"

6) Pinafore belts which could be used for a multitude of functions other than around the waist such as a Japanese Kamikaze samurai, a tie, a hairband, a measuring tape (as it will be always be placed on the table), a blindfold and lastly a scarf.

7) girls who went through lessons with feet off the ground, such as Perry and vk with their buddha on lotus leaves postures and lynette who seems to fear sharks swimming under her desk...

8) too comfortable learning environment where girls took off their shoes and socks ( yes socks) I swear that after the cleaning this afternoon , the air in 4/4 classroom smell fresher. I had to say it always have that slight pungent smell everytime I walked in

9) the rubbish cum recycling bin, aka the teacher's table

10) the dreadful greetings of "Good Morning Mr Ng" or "Thank You Mr Ng". I must say today greeting was by far the best I had heard for the past few months

And I guess that will be what I will miss.

Intensive revision and the sinkinng feeling of feeling unappreciated

The life of a Secondary Four teacher can be especially stressful.. ESPECIALLy during the last few months of the year. After the inital months of bonding, getting the class motivated, dealing with parents who were unduly worried about their daughters ending up in M.I or any of the C.I (no offence), the last few months schedule read like a page from a businessman's filofax. It goes something like this.

August - September Rush through the remaining syllabus, prepare the prelim examination papers
September - October Invigilation aka one pair of eyes staring at forty paris of eyes staring at the examination papers, marking of examination scripts
October - intensive revision churning out result slips, thinking about testimonial to write
October - November testimonials writing

And there you goes, a year has passed and the routine continued..
no wonder people are leaving the profession. ( Rumours that Mr Eric Tan is going to quit teaching and sell chicken rice at Novena, I am not so sure.. chicken rice.. not really lucrative.. prawn mee hm... maybe)

As a SS teacher, although it is a COMPULSORY subject... the level of interest for this subject is surprisingly low. Maybe I just didn't have the flair to teach it, but sometimes I think it is still important to respect the teacher ie me for standing in front of the class to ive intensive revision. Imagine the teacher sweating with beads of perspiration trying his best to teach what heknows, to impart his knowledge and there we have the scenario as below...







And the cycle continued lesson after lesson...

Yah the pictures do paint a vivid picture huh??

The film of my life

Sometimes I wonder what a film will turn out if my life was the inspiration of the film. I was websearching and found this. And this is what i got..


Sofia Coppola
Your film will be 58% romantic, 35% comedy, 30% complex plot, and a $ 26 million budget.

Relatively inexperienced (The Virgin Suicides, Lost In Translation) as a director, but already highly respected and connected -- her dad, Francis, directed all The Godfather movies, Apocolypse Now. Also, at last word she's dating Quentin Tarantino, so I'm sure he'll have some input into the substance of your film. Sofia's good at making the romantic drama that is your life. Who didn't have at least a lump in the throat at the end of Lost In Translation? She's already won one Academy Award for her writing, now she'll be the first woman to receive one for directing -- YOUR FILM!

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 75% on action-romance You scored higher than 60% on humor You scored higher than 17% on complexity You scored higher than 14% on budget

Link: The Director Who Films Your Life Test written by bingomosquito on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

A load of C*@9
Inspired by the ludricious mistakes made by my students, I have decided to put myself in my students' shoes. ( not that they are just nice for me... if you know what I mean..)

Today really sux

First of all there is this History exam which I am sure I am going to fail. It seems that there are just so much to study for the bleedy History. That "SOAB" Mr Ng seriously think that it is so easy to study 5 bleedy chapters for history. He really think that the examinations really revolved around history. Well let me get this straight, he is so wrong.. I tell you and I am going to prove it to him. In fact I am going to show him that it is humanely impossible to study all those things and get the facts right. In fact I am going to make so many glaring mistakes that he is going to spill blood over the scripts. Yah I tell you this is what teachers truly deserved. And if you are reading this, Mr Ng, you can just criticise my behaviour. well that what you teachers do anyway...

Firstly let me express my disgust over the school who punished the students whose blogs were critcising the teachers. I feel that as a student, the way the school is doing is not correct. I feel that you should first ask the teachers why they got so much time to spare reading the students blogs. And cuse me if you replied that it is through googling, then you should be spending more time making your lessons interesting rather than going around and invading our privacy. Who did you think you are? Sherlock? And by the way if your name appeared in non flattering terms, well let jst say that you can't strike a chord with the students, and making all this complaints is just going to make it worse. Come on you are no better than a kid who goes to the "teacher" to complain that another classmate gave you names. Sad but true. If you want to criticise be prepared to be criticised. That's what life is.. isn't this what you taught us?

Just get a "freaking" life.... please.

An impromptu celebration

I must be getting old-guilible-senile over the years. I was tricked by my own form class! In A fun way anyway. The girls threw an impromptu birthday celebration for me at the St Rap's shed. It was interesting that they got someone to distract me ie the one that I would never have doubted, Nicole DS to come and talk to me about her erm... problems with her mom. And I was actually having a meaningful conversation when another girl Roseann came and told us that Nicole's mom is here and she wanted to see Nicole's teachers. Armed with my weaponry (results analysis, mid year results, trusty ruler, pen and of course a heart of steel) I walked over to the shed, seeing the cake and the class breaking into choruses of "happy Birthday " and the song "hey Baby". It was such a wonderful surprise! The gift was a meaningful one with the girls writing something on each page. It was such a beautiful gift that I would keep it forever. Thanks 4/4! You really made my day!

Anyway I should make use of this opportunity to give "Oscars" to the nominees

Best Actress: Nicole De silva
She almost got me there with her teary eyes and her outpouring of emotions about her mom. I am sure I will be seeing her in "Moulmein High 3" or "Amazing Tales"??

Best Supporting Actress:
It was a toss between Amanda Ang and of course Roseann, but I will give the award to Roseann for her run and of course the one liner that she made " Mr Ng , please come down to the shed, and Nicole you better come quick, you know how difficult your mom is..."

Best soundtrack
"Hey Baby" what else.?

Best Prop
The Cake and of course the gift

Best cast
4/4 of course!

Thanks a million!

My Birthday Celebrations

An uneventful day. Maybe my birthday wish last year was relaised but I had the most boring celebrations ever. I guess this is what happens as you grow old. The level of clebrations and excitiment is inversely proportional to your age.

Watched the new ( or should i say so passe) Jackie chan movie, "The Myth". It seems so interesting that all these movie producers love to "bastardise" the beauty of History. To cut the long story short, Jackie Chan was a archaeologist who fight and has brains ( a la Indiana Jones), he has this recurring dream that he was a Qin dynasty general with the duty to protect the concubine of the Qin emperor ( a la that Chinese show starring Chow Yun Fatt and Lin Qing Xia, btw it is showing on Channel 8 this afternoon). There was this Bollywood dances and of course th good old solider fighting and slashing their guts out and Jackie Chan using his antics to fight and you know what. But then again the storyline was a bit far fetched. I shan's spoil it for those who have not watch it but rest assured if you are a history buff like me, I am sure you will certainly not approve of the way the movie goes. But then again, that is movies...

Had dinner at Tony Romas and that is it, a simple celebration

Sound like any other day to me....

Turning Thirty One aka Growing Old

It's scary how forgetful I can be... I can think about a certain website I need to check out, but forget which by the time I'm done with the initial webpage I was reading, and need to write all my outstanding work on a post-it note..But to top it off, I spent the whole of yesterday looking for my pocket Pc, which I distinctly recall I put it in my bag. I ransacked the fridge and realised that I have forgotten that I have finished the potato chips. At the rate soon I'm gonna stuff my dirty laundry into the fridge too..

Men and Women

Teachers at St Raphael by far had been enjoying the tranquility of the school as the Sec 4s are busy with their exams. This gave the teachers more time to interact over our hot coffee/tea and char siew paus.

Looking at the Life Section of the Strait Times today, there was this very interesting discussion in the staffroom this morning. And it is about how women dress. The discussion stemmed from the Strait Times Life Section where there were many celebrities in their fashionable fashions. Interesting different people have different perception about beauty and being attractive. For the benefit of those with no newspapers/ don;t read the newspapers/ don't know what a newspaper is, I shall risk getting sued by the newspapers to display the pictures on my blog.
(PS now that the authorities are so alert when it come to all these things like censorship/copyright, please tell me if this offend anyone or infringe any copyright and I shall remove it immediately)

The question posed was: "There are all together 6 photos. Decide for yourself which one is the most attractive" Again the word" attractive" is very subjective.

The pictures are shown below:

Picture1



Picture2


Picture3


Picture4


Picture5


Picture6


Which one did you choose? Guess which one did most of the teachers choose? Guess which one most of the male teachers choose?

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Unsurprisingly, no female choose Picture no.5 and that happens to be the picture that most male staff choose. Interestingly that is how men and women perceive things. A female teacher commented that this is rather slutty but in my opinion it is outright sexy. Hm... and of course to prove that I was "right" in my perception about the different perception of men., I started to do the "boliao" thing and ask the teachers to take a poll. And being the frank teacher (as always to voice out my comments, it seems that I made the unwittingly comments of my references and were given "dirty looks" a-la-chek-ko-peh. It seems that men's concept of good dress sense is quite different from women.

Well that is just a really boliao survey to cap a boring day of marking...

决 定 用 华 文 来 抒 发 我 的 心 情, 可 能 是 因 为 改 了 太 多 英 文 密 密 麻 麻 的 考 卷.

有 人 说, 我 的 华 文 比 我 的 英 文 好. 我 听 了 很 自 豪, 我 毕 竟 也 是 中 文 学 会" 出 生" 的. 哈 哈!

中 四 生 的 考 试 也 快 结 束 了, 这 也 意 味 这 我 的 逍 遥 日 即 将 结 束. 还 有 那 么 多 东 西 要 改... 老 师 的 烦 恼!

My conversation with God

As I suspected, GOD got on the internet craze. Now you can talk to him any time you want !!Check this out ! ------------------> This way to GOD.

Don't mention it

9-5

A week had amost passed. My holidays are coming to an end.

In case you are wondering where I was for the past week, not appearing in my second home... School. I was in another place which I have been calling home for the past week, at the British Council, having my dissertation lessons. the class was interesting, they were talking about rendering the strange familiar when it come to dissertation. I came back having even morre questions in my head, really rendering the familiar strange... Such philosophical perception.

Dissertation seminar tomorrow, and I am expected to "defend" my work tomorrow.. Let's hope the lecturers will be kind with their words and of course lenient with their "quextions" (BTW the british did pronounce the word this way... so technically I am not wrong)

Classes start from 9 and end at 5. After the information overload, i have been having difficulties concentrating.. on other things. I am tired, I need a break..

Any way I am watching the TCS 8 drama, an emotional scene when there is a family scene at the beach. Chen Han Wei and Michelle whoever were having this discussion of having another kid, to save their present one... so family so warm.. so government propaganda....

And that's my nonsensical ramblings...

My 2 cents worth on Teachers' Day

It is always the case that the Secondary Fours will always miss the Teachers' Day because it will be in the middle of their prelims. With the majority of my classes from Sec 4, I was expecting a "lean spell" when it come to presents and accolades. But then again like what the standard line that all teachers will said... we don;t need anything, just do well, be a good person and blaa blaa blaa. But again don't all teachers say so. We really mean it *eyes twinkling....*

It was nice that the girls came back.. in their jc uniforms, bringing flowers, bringing cards. It was a great feeling, to see them coming back and knowing that they are back to show their appreciation to the teachers, the very those who were scolding them to get their work done, to work harder and of course to pull their sock up literally and figuratively. But IJ teachers always have a special place in IJ girls. Dont they?

The dinner at the Elizabeth Hotel was an enjoyable one. The teachers let their hair down and some also let their clothes down in some of the ridiculous games that we were playing. And a teacher got thrown in the pool by a "scheming" parent. But we really enjoyed ourselves. A parent gave such a beautiful speech about her two daughters and how the teachers in IJ had helped them. It was a moving speech and it almost got me to tears. In fact teaching itself is such a rewarding job that we sometimes lose ourselves in it. But it was a great feeling.

Anyway I was going to blog about the gift I got. I finally managed to bring some back and these are just a selection of them.



A card from a lovely girl. Thanks for the beautiful card and of course the beautiful CD. I love the music. Just a short private message: Yes Genevive, I do have my reasons and I know that it would be difficult for you people to understand.. But I know that you will understand one day, maybe after the "O"s?



From a couple of girls from Sec 3/2. Thanks for the lovely card and of course for the rest fo the girls , thanks for the chocolate biscuits, the brownies and of course the lovely model ship



As a tyrant of 4/4, my form class decidd to get me a belt with all the top evil leaders. Cool belt though, but whether I am cool enough to pull it off is another issue all the way and thanks for the subway sandwich.. :)



From a scholar, Xuan Thu of 4/1. Lovely card, the bookworm look alittle bit like me though...



And of course the most offending present I got in my 5 years in IJ. actually I was okay about it. but the teachers who saw the gift were extremely offended FOR me. Maybe I was really telling the students too much crap. Maybe I should really cut down .. Yah that will really be bullshit...



3 silly sweet girls did this mega card-cum-scrapbook. And it really got me crying.. which in fact defy the whole purpose fo this extremely humourous card. But then thanks Fel, Mel and of course Celine who took time to do this when they should be studying for their exams. It is by far the most touching gift I got. thanks again.


There were many many gifts ( actually not many gifts) But thank you all so much for the gifts. If I miss you people in the thanks, that mean I am thanking you from the bottom of my heart without telling the world :P

• Tricia and Sarah of RMUN who made that lovely cheesecake for me.
• Sec 4/7 for the wonderful CD, and thank Gen for doing it for the class
• The RMUN girls for doing that wonderful gesture.
• Jess for the cute doggie hp holder
• Ann Marie for the nice card
• Ha Thu with that pretty hand made card
• Yvonne Tan of 4/2 for the lovely stalk of flower, thanks 4/2
• my 4/3 2003 girls who came back to talk to me AND
• all the girls who send me sms-es of gratitude.

5 years ago I came to IJ, resentful of the fact I have to be here, but 5 years later, I had nothing but wonderful memories of IJ. Thanks!

The Ego One

Reason For Coming Back: First Entry

I woke up this morning at 10am and decided, among many other things, that I shall blog. Again. Actually, I was awake much earlier, but just couldn’t drag myself out of bed. But never mind.

I was going to write a long entry explaining what exactly is ‘my reason for coming back’, but the reason is quite simple actually. So I’m going to spend most of this entry talking about myself instead

I like spontaneity and I act on impulse. Really I act on impulse... when I decided in the morning what I am going to have for breakfast to the point of what prelim questions I am going to divulge accidently tell...

I sometimes do something for no apparent reason, simply because I feel like doing it and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering ‘why didn’t I do that?’. But that also means I sometimes do certain things I end up regretting, like how I recently regretted trying that stupid thrill ride in Bangkok and still end up having nightmares over and over again after all these years.

I broke hearts and had my heart broken, on more than one occasion. The latter started early, when my primary school English relief teacher told me that even though she finds me the cutest eight-year old in the world, we couldn’t get married. I also understand that many of the fans girls were traumatised/agonised/brutalised/victimised/horrified/mystified/crucified by my irresponsible action of closing the blog without giving at least one week notice for them to save the verry farny entries to be used for their exams... ( anyway now you got another chance)

I don’t like people who are serious all the time. Nor do I like people who jokes all the time. There’s a time to be serious and a time for jokes, but some people just mixes the two up. I also realize that I’m guilty of that at times too, so yah, sometimes I don’t really like myself. But anyway I am pretty upset with a present I got for teacher day which gave me the license to bullshit... In the first place, it clearly show a lack of respect and secondly when did I ever bullshit... ??

I enjoy making people laugh, because when they do, I laugh too. I’m even ok with the fact that they are laughing at me sometimes most of the time because I’m not a person who is serious all the time. Just dont call me a joker..

I love giving surprises, and I love being surprised. Because smiles usually accompany surprises, and I love it when people smiles. Well actually to laugh it really out will be good, ask Melissa and Felicia from 4/8 and of course Celine from 4/4... Anyway I definitely wasn’t smiling when I recently received that ‘surprising’ amount for my tax assessment.

I don’t ever want to break another heart again.

And I think that is a very good reason for coming back.

Signed
The EGO One

It is national Day

It is going to be Singapore's birthday soon, 40 years!

Anyway I have nothing reall much to write...

Ripped this from another website

Pretty funny

Some new lyrics for our National songs ... sing it loud and clear during National Day !!!

Sing to "We are Singapore"

There was a time when Richard said
That TT Durai didn't do it, but he did
There was a time when Richard said
That NKF didn't do it, but they did
They built NKF, strong and rich, reaching out together
For more and more money

Chorus 1:
It is our money, it is our blood,
It is our kindness, it is our tears,
Don't take our money, to be your bonus
Don't cheat Singapore, Singaporeans



Sing to "One people, one nation, one Singapore"

We've built NKF with our brains
With educated people from a rich lands
Strangers when we first began, now we're all conman
Let's reach out for Singapore, join our hands forevermore

Chorus:
Con people, con nation, con Singapore
That's the way that we believe forevermore
Every dollar and every cent, every woman and every man
Con people, con nation, con Singapore

And when the time comes for the trial
Say nothing, give only denials
We'll be united, hand in hand
We'll show the world just where we stand
And reach out for Singapore, join our hands forevermore

(Repeat Chorus twice)
Con people, con nation, con Singapore



Sing to "A Place in My Heart"

Verse 1:
It doesn't matter where I fly from
It doesn't matter what I do
It doesn't matter what I believe in
It only matters how secret it is

Bridge:
It only matters I fly in business class
Upon each single flight I take
It only matters I keep it a secret
Enjoying up in the sky

Chorus:
Conscience has no place in my heart
I will always fly first class
Every mile I fly every secret I keep
There's nothing I can't overcome
Conscience has no place in my heart
I will always fly first class
If I'm sued and exposed
I'm not worried
I know Choo Leng will always be there with open arms

Verse 2:
I'll always treasure those happy moments
I can remember all the flights
It doesn't matter I'm cheating
It only matters how secret it is

Repeat Bridge & Chorus

Potentially confusing post

I haven't been blogging for a week plus.

I have been having my PMSes...

I am serious.

I am having all this mood swings which really feels like a roller coaster ride these few day, then i am getting a headache just spinning up and down

Students who experience this sudden outbursts of irritation and tinges of sacarasm are forewarned. This may go on for a long period of time.

I shall not give all of you the longs and shorts about what had been happening to me for the past few weeks, but let just say that there are points of time when I feel that I am at the crossroads of things.

The situation though had been resolved but there are still the internal turmoils in my heart which I need to come to terms with. In fact it has come to a point of time that both ways of the crossroads are not where I want to go. Either way I won't be really happy.....

My close friends and my wife had been talking to me and I have been trying to reconcile all these by myself and I realise that it is going to be difficult in anyway what so ever. But it has come to a point of time that I just have to decide what is it best for me and just welcome the new challenges with open arms.

Whatever decision I made, it is mine and mine only and I can only say that it is a painful one.

I rest...

I ponder...

I decide...

I had decided...