The One about a bone to pick

As I had always said, IJ always has a very special position in my heart. And of course the very fact that it is so near to where I stayed always give me the additional incentive to just drive past the spankiing new building, catching sometimes glimpses of the ever familiar blue pinafores and of course going into the times when I first came in as a trainee teacher. It seems so long ago and sometimes so surreal.

Perhaps at times I have still not made my peace with the fact that I am already in a new school, teaching other students and on top of that, working for a new principal, in a new management. However it always brighten up my day when I come back for a visit and felt so welcomed. Well almost at times.

I had been really busy with my new school and I believe that some of you who still keep in contact with me can testify for that. I worked extremely long hours , even longer than the usual times I spend in IJ. Thus any free time that I could spare would be for my wife, for my family, for my friends, and to me, sometimes just popping by IJ would be a time for myself. It is gratifying to know that some of you (staff and students) still welcome me back with open arms, and the affections you showed when I sometimes popped by for a social visit was really much appreciated. The attention from the Track and Field team when I returned yesterday was really great. However there are also some who actually felt that I was just- quoted and unquoted "too free, must be pretty idle". I resented this remark for it questions the very professionalism I had in my new school. I resented this remark for it also showed that I am not welcomed.

I know there are some who feel that I should have just moved on, and forget about it, but to me IJ is just like an alma mater like all of you, and sometimes, things that I have so passionately believed in had changed so drastically that I felt morally obliged to just try to get the record straight. I know that in so doing, I may be perceived as a busybody, but I am willing to do so, because I so passionately believed in the things in the school and of course the welfare of the IJ girls which some, I have seen them growing up in their teenage years.

Sad to say whether it is appreciated or not, I will come back as long as I am welcomed, even if it is only some staff and some students.

P.S: Just realised that i sound bitter. I'm actually quite ok, tired though. I think I just got carried away, I think. :D

P.S: Thanks for all of you who had added me in your MSN, my MSN will usually be operational during office hour( school hours from 7 to 7) and maybe some time in the weekend. Send me a msg, let me know how's thing are gettting on.

P.S: I heard that RMUN 2006 had gone up one level, there are interviews, and if Val, Alessa, Germaine and of course Tricia and Sarah you people need help, can drop me a line, or email me.
K?

The One with the no weekend

I carried an entire pile of marking which fit nicely into my car boot. Term tests, assignments, workbooks.

I am wondering how am i going to finish marking them..

Shall take 1 step ( pile) at the time.

Hm in the first place why am I blogging..

The One with My MSN Messenger

Many ex students wanted to know how to get in touch with me. One way would be through MSN messenger ( yes I am not so ancient). my email for msn is alec_ng@hotmail.com.

Some basic groundrules...

1) Please let me know who u are, when adding me in your contact list or risk getting blocked
2) If I don't reply you, you could mean I am too busy, or ignoring you or better still, busy ignoring you...

See you on MSN..

Mr Ng

The One about going back to school Again

Going back to school has been a footdragging, or car-braking experience. Today is dreadful monday. And I have just had 10 days worth of R-&-R at Hotel SAF, where brawn rather than brains was the flavour of the month. I was trying my best to deactivate the grey matter and I must say that I am pretty successful in doing that, so successful that I am having a hard time trying to crank it up and hype myself for today, coupled with the perennial monday blues

The lazy morning was greeted with compliments of concerns ( wah you look tanned, must have been pretty "siong") and of course the unceremonious poke, tainted with sacarsm ( you look really fresh!). Taking it in my stride like a true blue SAF serviceman, I commenced on my recee duty of trying to find a vantage point to start the already piling homework, tests and of course the administrative work which I have to clear.

Students alike greeted me with renewed zest, paying full due to the belief that "absence made the hearts go fonder". One Sec 4N girl even gave me a small snicker bar to welcome me back. The sec 3s upon seeing me greeted me a la Singapore Idol. Much as I hate to admit it... it is nice to feel welcome.

Welcome back!

The Ego One

The One with the O levels Results (part 2)

To the IJ girls I had taught, scolded, punished, ignored, teased, made fun of and "inspired"

Congrats for all the good results you have gotten. The results is a passageway to the next phase of your journey. 2 or 3 years down the road, you will not remember what you had gotten but will be eagerly anticipating embarking on a new phase of your life. For those who did exceptionally well, savour the moment for you deserved every second of it. For those who did not do as well, well life still goes on :p and most importantly every setback is just a step closer to success. It is not whether you fall or not, it is how fast you get up.

Even though I am not in IJ, i had heard so many of you calling me, sending me emails, sms-es as I busied myself in my green fatigues, handling a weapon (the SAF M 16) which I had not touched for almost 10 over years. Much as I like to witness the euphoric looks on your faces, I was kinda tied down by my national obligations. However it was nice to hear from all of you for it showed that IJ girls are appreciative and that I have in some way, good or bad, left a mark in your lives.

I had heard that Thanksgiving Mass will be 22 feb wednesday. Many students asked whether if I will be back in IJ. Much as I love to do so, I had my other obligations in another school. I apologise for not being there but I am sure all of you will savour the moment and of course embark on your new journey with zest and anticipation.

I had heard that there are some girls who wants to get in touch with me. You can try to email me. For those who want to talk to me.... can get the numbers from my 4/4 2005 girls. I am most willing to get in touch with IJ girls, and of course if your name happens to be Clarabelle..

GODSPEED!

Mr Ng

The One with the O level Results

Unlike the last time 2 years ago, when I came running back from my national duty to serve the country, this year will not be the case; I am again doing my obligatory duty and this time I would not be able to be there in IJ or YTSS. Sigh..

Anyway this is just a note to all my girls 2005 - what's done is done, don't worry about the results for you have done your best..

Let me know by email or sms how you people do ok??

Mr Ng

The one when my students came a-visiting...

It has become a yearly routine for my form classes to come over to my house to "bainian" and of course "rip" the poor teacher of his month worth of salary :P
Anyway this year, I decided to do some "strategic" planning and allocated them in batches so that my small house will not feel like a furnace and I will also have time to interact with them..

Anyway will update more when I can find the time... yah time is fast becoming a luxury.....

Just some pictures for 4/4 and yes this bring back a lot of memories.

The One about CNY eve

It is the time of the month again. Chineses New Year. The fate of time has been good to us, we get 4 days of holidays instead of the obligatory two and a half.

This year we ushered ( Yeah!) in the year of the dog and say bye bye to the year of the chicken. And every year it is the same old stuff, CNY reunion dinner at my parents' place, the last minute cleaning and scrubing of the house which often leave me totally flushed! (well what do you expect if you try to leave a whole year of cleaning for this special day...? Ha just kidding) Nonetheless, my wife and I did spend some quiet moments "fingering", "licking" (talk about hygenie), putting things where it supposes to be. Even though it is a painful process, we still have to do it. And yes incase you people are getting the wrong ideas, we were busy putting money into the ang pows. There were the A category - meaning immediate family members, the B category - close relatives, C category - other relatives, friends, and students and D category - others that do not fall into the first few categories. We debated over the amount to put for each category as we put the crisp new notes into the the empty ang pows. Yes it is another year again...

Yes CNY is here.

The One with the CNY

CNY in a new school





so different






a weird feeling






I missed the mass....

The One with the Fighting and Caning

Reality strike early, week 4 of the school. I got a rude shock when I found myself caught in the middle of a fist fight between a couple of my upper sec students. Shocking? well... maybe, all this while, I have been teaching girls and the most extreme I had seen is catfights... actually bitching was the most I have seen and heard. Thus it came to me as a shock that they were actually doing the “Rocky” tango right before my very eyes.

Surprisingly, I have to be really macho about it and literally stand in the line of the fistfight. Like a traffic policeman stopping the whole proceedings, I risked getting my face smashed up in the middle. It was to my relief that the boys stopped or I will literally be manhandled....

I have to say, being totally "virginal" about this, that I was a bit unsettled by the incident and it was difficult to continue with the lesson with the rest fo the class. I guess there will be more of this little experiences now and then.

On a side note, as I was walking back to the staffroom, I witnessed the caning of the student in front of the class by the Principal. It is unsettling, it is sad. I have this awkward feeling and something stuck in my throat. I am glad that the long hols are coming....

The One about kena-ing tomorrowed again!

Thanks again for those who read the entry on the prenatal class. Seems like it strikes a chord with the parents to be. Thanks again. And now I can say.... I kena tommorrowed!! :P

The One about the Internet

I remember during RMUN 2005 IJ was performing something controversial during the fashion parade. Got this. Quite funny but a little controversial. Enjoy....

Have a good week ahead...

The One about going to Prenatal Class

My saturdays are now spent more constructively

Other than spending time on the net surfing porno educational websites ( for teaching and learning), I have embarked on a new profession - the one of being a father. My little Vernice is coming soon in May and Mummy is worried that Daddy woould not have the necessary experience and knowledge to look after Mummy during her pregnancy and Vernice when she is born. As Kiasu parent ourselves, Mummy enroled us for this 150++ ( GST included) course which hopefully would make us better parents and for me a better supporter during my wife pregnancy

I have to admit that I am a pretty aloof daddy, other than serenading my baby girl with my incessant snoring at night and helping a little wee bit more in the housework. My guilty conscience forced me to drag my ass to accompany my wife for this workshop.

Scehduled at an un"appealing" time of 3 -5pm, it was no wonder the Zzzz monsters were tempting me. As we were ushered into a comfortable air conditional room where the environment more than induced me into my deprivated mode, all I see are different types of couples. There was one whose husband was apparently trying to clinch a multi million dollars deal and was too busy to attend the session.( I actually pity the wife) There were also a couple of lovey dovey couples who were more busy "touching" each other ( No wonder the baby). But most of the husbands seen are a disinterested lot who seems to be more willing to catch up with their afternoon naps than to be in the realm where time stands still .

The psychotherapist conducting the session is a nice, friendly lady ( I am obliged to say nice things as she is my wife's colleague :P) who addressed the needs of the 9 couples in the room. From swollen ankles, to bad joints, to backaches and tired muscles, she handled the situation well. There was also a massage session where the husband ( ie the non-baby carrier) got to help the soothe the aching muscles of the mummy.

The lesson instructor showing Mummy how to lie properly to keep baby comfortable

Stand up Straight... Sedia-a!!

I succumb to the temptation of the Zzzzz monsters as it approached the 4.30 mark. I must say that is is really difficult for me ( ie keep awake since I have only slept on an average 6 hours per day the whole week) and even more difficult for my wifey who is carrying a "football" around. I can't say I would be looking forward for the next session. But will definitely try to keep awake then, which means I got to sleep early on friday.

Updated:

This post has kena tomorrowed. Yeah!!

The thing about what happen in class today...

A causal comment when I was teaching the chapter on Russia brought me to this man "Rasputin". For the histo-phobe, Rasputin is a colourful character in History, a known womaniser and drinker. Anyway the discussion inadvertently veered to the concept that girls usually like "bad boys" 男人不坏，女人不爱. The example inadvertently veered towards the fact that female girls always have a crush on guys who are a bit on the "naughty" side... a bit of the leather jacket, a tattoo here and there, some bulging muscles, a harley davidson and of course with a "could care less" attitude to match. I brought out the example that this account for the reason why school girls have crushes on PE teachers, partly for the bulging muscles and the athletic body. No students would have a crush on a History teacher who come to school all covered up ( long sleeves, long pants and stuff).

But I reassured them maybe behind this cover, I could be hidding a 6 pack abs. And I received hysterical laughter.

Guess Yishun Town kids and IJ girls do have something in common..... :(

The one with the little time to spare

The thing about being a teacher in this school now is that i am hidden at the very corner in the staffroom.

My life had been generally undisturbed, which I tried to occupy myself with things to do, from marking to preparing lessons to basically daydreaming.

I find myself more and more an office rat, not helped by the fact that the cubicle looks like a small enclosure for the "visit-the-zoo-animal" But then again, it do have some benefits as I like to just do things at times alone.

Lunch so far had been a small key if not no affair. Gone were the day when I can saunter to the canteen or even go out of school to "ta pau" stuff back. It just feel too tedious to even make the trip out. In fact time really flies and before you knew it, it is around 5 plus in the evening when we pack and wait for the next schooling day in great anticipation.

My first pile of marking has come in and the signs are not good. I guess this is what they mean by a "C"ulture shock. But again I have no complaint. My challenge now is how to help and motivate these kids.

Ominous dark rings are all over my eyes.... I need to start sleeping well and early, and that means at humane hours like 11pm or 12am

Just want to end today post with something that I remembered about IJ :)

Thank you, Lord,

for the trials that come my way.

In that way I can grow each day

as I let you lead,

And thank you, Lord,

for the patience those trials bring.

In that process of growing,

I can learn to care.

But it goes against the way I am

to put my human nature down

and let the Spirit take control of all I do.

'Cause when those trials come,

my human nature shouts the thing to do;

and God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.

I thank you, Lord,

with each trial I feel inside,

that you're there to help,

lead and guide me away from wrong.

'Cause you promised, Lord,

that with every testing,

that your way of escaping is easier to bear.

But it goes against the way

I am to put my human nature down

and let the Spirit take control of all I do.

'Cause when those trials come,

my human nature shouts the thing to do;

and God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.

I thank you, Lord,for the victory that growing brings.

In surrender of everything

life is so worth while.

And I thank you, Lord,

that when everything's put in place,

out in front I can see your face,

and it's there you belong.

The One with the first week in school

I survived the first week of school...

TGIF!

I am sorry that I an not able to blog as often as I like but I am really tied down with work. The first few days were a total blur - an avalanche of paperwork and the unsettling change of a new environment.

Morning assembly was entirely different from that in IJ, but i would say more organised and regimented. However I missed the hymms that I had gotten so familiar and the daily reflections. Suffice to say, the temasek greens was a big change from the navy blues which I have been seeing for the past 5 years.

All of the sudden I feel like one of the blur 12 year olds who step into the school for the first time, badly needing an orientation, getting to know the teachers(colleagues) and yes orientating myself to find my way to class. It was difficult especially when I tried consciously to remind myself not to greet "Good Morning/afternoon girls" but I still ended up doing it, thus getting sniggers and giggles from some of the students. It was also a new experience in the ears when you hear the oh so familiar "cher" which I thought I would never hear on me.

So far i had met all my classes including my form class (yes, I had a sec 2 form class) So far my impression of the students had been good. As for my form class, they can be quite a cute bunch but then sometimes they can be mischevious. But then again this is after all the first week. Horns may grow...

Changes had indeed been unsettling, but getting into the groove of things, I am glad that I had taken that dreaded step out of my comfort zone. I know there are also people out there who faced the same type of problems as I do and let me assure you, I am literally in a similar boat. I do understand how you people feel and sometimes it is comfortable to even hid in your little corner and moan. However in life there will always be change. In fact the only thing that will remain constant is ironically change itself.

I look forward to all these new challenges with relish and I hope I can do what I had done in IJ - continue to nurture and impact the lives of students. If I don't blog often, maybe you could send me a friendly sms or email - I could have been buried in the piles of work that I am supposed to do :P

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.