T_T

I lost my handphone today. As of today I’ll not be contactable through my old number until I get a new HP. T_T

I should get my new HP soon… perhaps Friday or Saturday. *sigh*

Heh. Life's not that bad...

I think I have a pretty good constitution. I fell sick on Monday but on Tuesday, I’m hale and hearty once more! Honestly though, falling sick really puts things into perspectives. I realized that health is something not to be taken for granted. I can’t even read or watch vcds in comfort yesterday. =_= Everytime I cough or sneeze, or move my head, I can feel my brain sloshing from side to side. Haha… sounds disgusting ya. It feels doubly so. =_=

But I’m ok now! I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Pain!!

My headache’s getting from bad to worse…

Actually it’s a migraine. How it hurts… realized that I shouldn’t eat when I’m having a migraine… I’ll puke it all out anyways. =_= Such a waste of money. *sigh* I really should go to see a doctor as J said. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I'm such a procrastinator. =_= Or maybe I'm just addicted to pain. =_=

Met up with the movie gang on Wednesday to have dinner and watch world cup. Anyways, I think I’ve broken my streak of bad luck! I bet on Spain and won!! Kekekeke… oh the Spanish players are all so cute! Almost all of us were gashing over number 9! I think his name is Torres. Ah! So cute! Only silly D was supporting Ukraine. =_=

Should sleep soon... my migraine is killing me. T_T

Resentment

I feel resentful when my mother lectures me on my spending habits and asked me why am I not giving her more money. =_= I feel that it’s very hypocritical of her and my dad to lecture me when I have to pay my own tuition fees when they paid in full for my elder brother. I know many people have it worse than me. They have to pay their loans and take care of their families at the same time. I know. But at the same time, I’m resentful all the same. I’m pretty sure they’ll help my younger brother pay his tuition fees when he goes to university in a few years time on the reason that he’s the youngest. Though I’m sure it’s because he’s a guy and my mother loves him more. The difference in treatment is apparent and disgusting. I won’t do the same to my kids if I have any in the future.

Hehe… thought it was rather funny…

Well, as most of you guys should know, I’m known for having extremely bad luck when it comes to betting on football. Today, it seems that even my support (without the betting) is detrimental to any teams.

Was at the coffeeshop in clementi interchange after training today with my kendo mates. The whole place was packed with people watching the World Cup match between Japan and Australia. Japan was leading 1-0 for most part of the game. But I wasn’t really paying much attention to the match. My fish soup held most of my attention. Then someone asked me which team do I think would win the match. Of course I said Japan. In quick succession, Australia scored not one, not two, but THREE goals. All the kendo peeps look at me with this expression –“=_=” and asked me my prediction for the next match coz they’re going to bet on the opposing team.

Of course it’s not my fault lah if the teams can’t play but it struck me as damn funny. Such a coincidence! Kimchi banned me from supporting the Korean team tomorrow coz she wants it to win. Haha…

Weird Dream

Had a weird dream last night where a few of my good friends died in succession. Now that I’ve been woken up by my HOD’s sms, I really can’t recall the details of the dream. I can only remember being rather sad and depressed. And no… in case any of you are wondering, I didn’t "kill" off any of them. They either died from weird accidents or illnesses. But in quick succession of each other. The feeling was sort of like one died and before you can get over his death, another one kick the bucket. All in all, it was a really weird dream. =_=

Over!

Results are out and everything’s fine and dandy. =)
Pass, credit or distinction… doesn’t really matter to me since it makes no difference in the pay but I wanted some sort of vindication of my two months in DS. And so, I’m rather happy with my practicum credit. The two months of hard work was not wasted indeed. Hehe…

But what I’m really looking forward to, is the increase in pay!! Hehe… that’s the most IMPORTANT component of the whole issue.

Old pictures...

I wanted to pick out some pictures to bring to my new workplace, to decorate that tiny table i've been allocated. And as I was looking through my old photo albums, the pictures sure bring back fond memories. The different people at different/concurrent stages of my life… I’m so glad I have them –the memories as well as the pictures. =)

Been really irritated recently

And I have no idea why. Oh wait… I know.

Reason 1 –It’s because my maid has gone back to the Philippines for a holiday and we’re really screwed! It’s tough taking care of Toby and going to school or going out or for trainings at the same time. I hate doing household chores… there’s a reason why household chores are called CHORES.

Reason 2 –My throat is killing me… the coughing is horrid and I can’t speak without my voice cracking… it irritates the hell out of me. Oh. And I’ve been getting these really annoying headaches every now and then.

Reason 3 –The weather these days… oh my fucking god! It’s horrible! How can the weather be so fucking BAD in recent days?!! I can feel the heat even indoors with the fan blowing right in my face!

Putting down all the reasons…. Its no wonder I’ve been feeling irritated recently. =_=

History dinner and misc stuff…

Wednesday marked the “official” end of my NIE life. Of course there’s still the “enrichment” programmes and talks in the weeks to come. Oh well, I can deal with that. We had our History Dinner after class on Wednesday at Amirah’s Grill. The food was great and the company was fantastic. So happy to be part of this class of weird and whacky people! Will surely miss them when we are all separated to schools all over the island. I sure hope we can meet up once in a while. But the dinner was a great end to an interesting year. =P


Here’s almost everyone in the class… pity we couldn’t get everyone. T_T
p.s: Thanx to David for the photo.

I went back for training again yesterday. It was still a struggle… I had to really convince myself to get out of the house for training. Now I’m taking it one training at a time. Soon… I’ll get back in the groove of going for training!

On a kendo high!

Went back to training after a long break. Perhaps the word “long” would be an understatement. Oh well. At least I’m back! And it’s a damn good feeling. *Grinz*

There’s something else I wanted to talk about… but I just can’t remember it now…. Too much endorphins in my system… clouding my brain… haha

Oh ya! Just remembered! I went down to my new workplace this morning. Hmmm… the HODs and the V-Ps seemed real nice and my workload should be fine. I’ll be taking two classes of secondary three (express) and two classes of secondary two (normal academic) for history. As for literature, they’ve given me two classes of secondary twos (express). The workload’s pretty light but the responsibility is kinda heavy! I’ll be following my secondary threes up next year so it’ll be kinda scary.

Oh well! Here’s hoping everything will work out just fine! =P

Mdm Wong is married!~! Omedetou!!

*throws confetti*

And so, together with some of the kendo peeps, we went to attend his wedding dinner at the Pan Pacific. It was a pretty decent affair. Classy, yet not overly extravagant. There were bout 3 tables full of kendo peeps. The sensei table, the national team table and us… haha… the old-timers of NUSKK. The bride was sooooo pretty! ZX is such a lucky guy. =)

I took some pictures… but not a lot coz my camera battery died on me. T_T


The lucky groom with his pretty bride… but the lighting wasn’t too great… *sigh*


Monkey and Saizou


The two oldest characters in NUSKK… and I’m serious… notice da jie covering his forehead? Haha… he doesn’t want his hair to be seen.


Uncle WK acting silly… hehe…


I think this is one of the nicest “big heads” pictures I took that night. Haha…

Arghhhh….

Well, school postings are out. My posting's certainly not my first choice. I’d much rather go back to DS. Even if I had to teach E-Lang! T_T

But a lot got to do with attitude. As J said… I got to put on my “game” face and try to view it in a positive light. Who knows? I might just like it there… =_=

But do let me finish my moping for the rest of this week… T_T

Wheeee!!

It’s over!!! Now I’m not sure if I’ll end up back in DS but I wouldn’t mind either way. There’s the good and the bad in both possible situations. But the kids were so sweet. I’m not a sentimental person but I have to admit that I was rather touched by some of the kids.

The stuffed pig was grand… hmmm I wonder how they know I love pigs. =P The little bottles filled with paper stars and (undeterminable) beans were thoughtful and sweet. The rehearsed message that one class read out to me at the end of my class was unexpected and totally adorable. But what touched me the most were the cards that they decorated and the messages they wrote inside the cards. This kid even walked me back to the staffroom, helping me carry my laptop after my last lesson with his class. He just said three simple words at the end, “Take care, cher” – but it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It’s really the sincerity behind the words that matters.

I’m really going to miss my students… even though I might not be the best teacher around, in fact, I KNOW I’m not that good a teacher but I had fun teaching them and I sure hoped they had fun during some if not all of my lessons. =P Here’s wishing them all the best for their mid-years!

Oh ya… I just got home! But no… I did not party the night away… I merely bummed the night away at J’s place after attending part of the SDA rally last night with Kitty. I’m sure Mr. C will do a great job at PP if he’s elected again but the SDA rally was not particularly exciting. Totally unlike the WP rally I went to previously. So after staying for a little while, kitty and I made our way to J’s place for some pizza, documentary and drama. Haha… but the documentary we watched was super cool. It’s called “One Day In September” and I want to own it! Yosh! Time to visit HMV!

Heh. It’s after 8… time for me to go vote! My vote is secret and sacred! But I’m going to wear my new blue wristband (which kitty bought) when I go down to vote!

进步？

我想，这十个礼拜的经历让我学会了好多东西。我学会了包容，迁就和看开。

包容，是要包容学生所有的习性。好的与坏的之间往往只有一线之差。往往只是观念的问题。当然我们也不能纵容他们的恶习，不然后果不堪设想。

迁就，是因为发现要在这现实社会待下去，人与人之间的关系是非常重要的。要学会如何去迁就别人和如何与别人相处。当然也不能样样都迁就别人，因为这样会被人家看不起的，是懦弱的表现。

看开，这其中当然也包括了怎么“放手”。发现了这世上有好多事是不能强求的。做人也不可以太过执着。不然，最不开心的还是自己。

我想，虽然不多，我的确有了那么一点点的进步。

Hehe... 4 more days!!

Heh. Here's a pic of us (H, SL and Me!) acting cute in the staffroom to celebrate the fact that there's only 4 more working days left in our Practicum! I'll surely miss my fellow trainee! They are a fun bunch to hang out with. T_T

And the kids of course.... they've grown more adorable throughout the course of these 10 weeks. Besides the joy and excitment of beginning a new chapter in life, there's also sadness at the thought that I'll not get to see these kids again. Oh well, 天下无不散之宴席... who knows, I might just end up back at DS in a few years time. =)

It’s nearing the end of the road…

And I actually felt a little sad. Contrast it to the previous posts that I made about wanting Practicum to end ASAP, it might be kinda weird to say that I’m sad that practicum’s going to end soon. It’s not that I don’t want to go back to NIE, it’ll be fun to see the NIE peeps again. But there’s so much that I’ll miss in DS. Well, not so much… but mainly my fellow trainees and the kids.

My SCM actually asked if I’m interested in teaching English, coz DS is in need of e-lang teachers and they’ll get me to stay if I agree to teach e-lang. It’s always a comfort to go back to familiar surroundings but I have no confidence in my grammar. I never really understood the intricacies of it. =_= Besides, I’ll never know how good DS really is until I have experience at other schools. And DS really is a great place. They have a fantastic school culture and the kids there are adorable. If any of the NIE peeps are posted there, they’re really lucky.

Though it’d be supreme irony if they make me teach e-lang over at my new posting. =_=

It’s all over!!!

It’s been a fucking long time! But now it’s all over! Cleared my final formal observation by my Hist CT! I really don’t know what he thought of that lesson coz it’s a very basic lesson with just teacher-talk and questioning. I hope he’ll find it all right. Heh.

But that’s not the most important thing. The important thing is that it’s all over!!! And the behaviour of the class touched me deeply. My very first observation was with this class too and it didn’t turn out too good. But this lesson gave me a good feeling. The little and some not so little munchkins were really sweet. That class is one of my most notorious classes. But they behaved themselves for my observation. =) The guys were really adorable today –cooperative, enthusiastic and responsive. I couldn’t ask for better students. =) That lesson just made my day!

Edit: I just got back the APT form from my CT! It’s not too bad I guess, especially when compared to my first ob. Huge improvement I’d say! Haha… my CTs are all nice folks. =)

One more to go!!

Decided to have a formal observation by my lit Ct on the spur of the moment. Must be ra’s fault. =P

Hahaha… anyways, I decided to get it over and done with despite not having prepared much. But it went well I guess. My CT was happy with the lesson and the way I interacted with the kids. I’m happy with my new approach too. Being more relax in the classroom really helps. I don’t get irritated and the kids are also happy. So in the end, everything went well and I’m kinda relieved. Just one more this Friday and it’ll all be over! Getting the APT form from her tomorrow... hopefully it'll be good! =)

The kids were just adorable today. I think I’m really going to miss them when practicum is done. T_T On the other hand… I can’t wait for it to end! =P

The long weekend is bliss incarnate!

Heh. Despite life getting easier, the weekend’s still something to look forward to. I can’t wait to get back to NIE! Argh… though there’s still the literature assignment left undone. But I’ll churn it out by Monday I guess. Nat, Ra, you guys wanna meet up in NIE on Monday for some makan?

Sigh… been back to training last wed and nearly died! My muscles are still aching. It felt good but the lack of regular practice really killed me. I think I’ll have to be more regular in future.

School was rather hectic this past week. I’ve been rather stern with the kids and I’m kinda upset about it. I really don’t like to scold them. And I really feel that it’s not that effective. But I really cannot find any other way to get it into their head that it’s really for their own good! I very much suspect my own teachers felt the same way I do now back when they were teaching my class. Hahaha… frustrated and helpless coz the kids just don’t wanna learn. But it’s affecting my mood. I’m gonna cool it and take a more relax attitude next week and see how it goes.

Some of the kids are really adorable though… hmmm… even though some of em are slightly crazed. They really are! A little crazed that is. Haha… especially this group of secondary two girls I taught for a little while before the switch in timetables caused me to give up their class. Adorable but wacky. Loved the wackiness though. They’re funny. =P

Gonna miss my fellow trainees too when I leave DS. T_T Not equally of course. Haha… there are some I like more than others. =P I’ll surely miss SL and H the most! There’s this kid in one of my classes. He’s pretty cute lah I’ll have to say. H is sooooo taken with him. Kept going on and on about how cute he is. I have to remind her that he’s not legal yet. Haha… I do agree that he’ll be a heartbreaker when he’s older. Now, I just wish he’ll read the text and do his homework even when I'm not there to nag him into doing it. =_= Coz I feel he's a smart kid and capable of so much more.