Saturday, July 30, 2005
Prayers Heard!
I'm feeling a bit too angry to sleep now. Don't ask me why. It's a chore to type everything out especially when it's going to get me even more worked up. Besides, my previous entry was so grouchy, so I'm going to blog about something happier now.
Alright! Guess what? My prayers were heard! Thank You, Lord! Haha!
What happened? Well, earlier this evening, Yani sent me a message, saying she'll email to the VP to ask for permission for us to be freed from our last lesson of the day during the O Level Oral Examination period (10 days in all). She thinks we should be able to get our last period free but the kids must be meaningfully occupied. But of course! I already have plans to churn out some worksheets for my 4H pupils to do from Tuesday to Thursday. Yeah, I happen to see them for the last period or last 2 periods from Tuesdays to Thursdays.
Anyway, this means I still have like a week and a half to churn out all the necessary worksheets for them to do. Wahahah! Lots of drilling for them especially for Paper 2 components. But I think they'll enjoy doing certain worksheets. They seem to be more on task for map-reading. Hohohohohoh! I'll have to start soon.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Despite my grouchy previous entry on a wretched job - thanks to technology progressing at such a terrifying speed - I've decided to buy a laptop for a couple of reasons.
1) The one I'm using isn't really my own to call. My dad was the one who paid for it, so technically speaking, he's the owner. He's making all kinds of crazy restrictions when I use it. For example, I'm not allowed to watch VCD on the laptop. My VCDs are all non-pirated, mind you. And no playing of music CD either. Hello? The laptop is as good as becoming a radio these days when you have speakers attached to it. How can anyone NOT play songs? Granted it may not work as well as a radio or a hi-fi set sometimes, but since the function is built in the laptop, why not just make use of it?! DUHs. Well, anyway, I don't want to argue with him. So I'm buying my own!
2) The laptop I'm using is really heavy. I've been lugging it to and from work so much so that my neck and shoulders have been aching very badly. The pain has kind of numbed somewhat because it's been quite a few months. I haven't been bringing my laptop to work the past couple of weeks though due to something which happened a couple of weeks back on a certain Friday (sometimes, it's really easy to forgive but hard to forget). My neck and shoulders don't feel any better actually. Sigh. Perhaps it's my sitting posture when I'm in front of the laptop/computer and when I'm doing my marking. Anyway, I've digressed. The new laptop will be a 12-inch one. It's small and light enough to dump into most of my bags, so I can bring it wherever I go. I'm glad. I can't wait to get my hands on it!
Ah, I feel happier already at the thought of a new laptop. My brother has placed the order at his school. He's now studying in NIE. Yeah lah, he's going to be a teacher too. I wonder what got into him. Wahahah.
Don't know. Maybe he'll flourish in this line. He has ways of handling certain things and issues. So far, he's been attached to pretty good schools (primary level and all-girls' schools some more). I'm not sure if he'll find a neighbourhood school, well, good. It's a different kind of calibre of pupils and culture altogether, which means a different set of challenges (usually less academic and more disciplinary). Well, I'm sure he has considered that point to have made the move of joining MOE.
Okay, my stomach is growling. I think I'm going to sleep to curb my hunger. It's too crazy an hour to eat now. Then I may probably end up sleepless again. Speaking of which, I just realised I haven't had dinner. Oh well, it's too late... too bad.
Good night, world! Hah, it's more like 'good morning'... ;p
jOyZ blogged at 3:27 AM
~~~~~~
Friday, July 29, 2005
Wretched Job
98. Right, that is the number of essays I have to mark this weekend. By hook or by crook, I have to return all these on Monday.
Yet, I'm not marking anything now. I'm really sick of work. Well, at least I'm done with all the examination papers.
I'm losing my voice -again- when I barely recovered. I think it's because I overstrained my voicebox on Thursday - my worst day of the week with lessons from 7.45am to 9.30am and then 10.40am to 3.30pm (no break other than the 1 hour 10 minutes of non-teaching periods which I usually spend preparing lessons).
I can't imagine my Wednesdays and Thursdays once the O Level Oral English Examination commences on the 11th August. I won't have time to even go to the ladies! This is so ridiculous! I wonder why my school doesn't allow those of us who are on duties as OEs to be excused from teaching for the last period of the day. Some schools free their teachers for the last TWO periods!
Hmph. What teacher welfare are we talking about here? Just because this is labelled as a 'noble' job, are we supposed to suffer in silence? That's really not the issue. We're talking about human rights here. Just yesterday, Mrs Dass and I were grouching that teaching is the only job which doesn't allow a proper 1-hour lunch break. We gobble up our food within ten minutes (sometimes even as fast as five minutes - can compete with NS boys!) and then we rush off again to work. Sometimes, we take 2 or 3 mini-breaks to finish our box of food.
True - we do have school holidays as compensation. But, trust me, having to pay surcharge fees when we fly off for holidays, I think the compensation isn't really much - especially when we don't earn very much.
It's a wretched job. I wonder how I could have lasted for even almost 6 years. Sometimes, I wonder how my more senior colleagues can last for so many decades in a job that literally sucks the life out of you. Some of them had started teaching even before I was born! -gape-
But I also notice that many of them are asking for an early retirement. There's no doubt about it - teaching in Singapore is changing. No more half-days. It's practically 24/7 nowadays - judging from the amount of marking we have to finish throughout school terms. This job is no different from any other - thanks to the computer revolution. Blahs.
Ironically, I'm blogging in front of my laptop, listening to my music on my laptop and chatting via MSN on my laptop. I can't live without my hi-tech gadgets now - thanks again to the computer revolution.
I wonder when technology will ever stop progressing...
jOyZ blogged at 6:27 PM
~~~~~~
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Intensive Brain Power Causes Hunger
I'm convinced that hunger can also be caused by intense brain power. I've just finished setting a paper and I'm feeling absolutely STARVED. xB
Food... food... I need FOOD!
But it's 2am and I'm supposed to sleep.
WAILS... I'm too hungry to sleep!
*_*
jOyZ blogged at 2:05 AM
~~~~~~
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
An Angry Blog
I think I have a lot of anger in me. Right now, I'm angry. Don't wish to blog about the reason. I'm just ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY.
If someone comes along now and says something that has the slightest rubbish in it, I won't hesitate to snap at him/her. Leave me ALONE. Can't you read the expression "GO AWAY" on my face? If your ears are feeling itchy, I'll be more than ready to give you a verbal thrashing. So GET LOST.
PISSED. FED UP.
I never did this... I never did that... But when I do, will you ever take any notice? Will it make any difference?
"I need to this... I gotta that..." Blah blah blah. Yakkity yak yak yak. Full load of crap. No - correction - an OVERLOAD of crap.
Maybe you think I'm dumb and gullible.
Perhaps I am. Who cares right? Least of all you. And so, how very convenient for you.
"SIGH. I CAN'T BE BOTHERED ANYMORE."
Guess what?
Me NEITHER.
jOyZ blogged at 5:25 PM
~~~~~~
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Memoirs Of A Sorethroat
Ah, here comes the water. I'm telling you, this is as good as it gets. Water - especially icy cold - does a great job of cleansing me. You have no idea what kinda crap this person eats all the time! Once, she yawned at work, I saw this huge container of biscuits at her work desk!
Well, of course they weren't too bad - the biscuits I mean. Eugnot was telling me it tasted of cheese. I think it's one of her favourites. Cheesecakes, cheese sticks, cheese balls, cheese fries - you name it! I tell you, at the rate she's popping cheese in here, anyone would think she's a cheese freak! Well, she IS anyway.
Doesn't she understand I need water? I wish she'd cleanse me more often.
Right now, I don't feel very good. I look red and raw. I feel hot! Well, granted she's been bathing me a lot lately, but isn't it a bit too late? Hasn't she heard that prevention is better than cure? And now, she's been throwing in a lot of huge cynlindrical - long or flat - THINGS in here. Eugnot can't stand them. Neither can I. But I understand that these are supposed to relieve the discomfort the rest of us are experiencing right now. From what I've gathered so far, I don't think they are very helpful.
Srae and Seye told me that the weather hasn't been good lately. When it's sunny, it's scorching; when it's wet, it's cold. Possibly people around her at work have been falling ill and she's got the virus from them. Still, I'm sure she should know better. I mean, Seye and Srae are telling her everything!
Maybe Niarb is going crazy. I heard she's been stressed with all the information Seye and Srae have given her. Thanks a lot, Niarb. Now I'm the one who's suffering the most. I get irritated with all mucus - God knows where they come from, these disgusting things - and I try to remove them all the time. But the more I try, the worse I feel.
Then there are Eson and Sgnul - blowing and wheezing themselves respectively like crazy all the time. I think Srae probably can't stand Eson's blowing. Even Eugnot feels sluggish these days.
Oi, Sdnah, why don't you stop typing so that Sgel can walk to the bed so that Seye can shut out the world for us for a while? On second thoughts... NIARB! WAKE UP! Tell her we all need WATER again! NOW!
jOyZ blogged at 9:27 AM
~~~~~~
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Not Any Better
Should I love today? Sigh, reminds me of Imelda's cheerful song What A Beautiful Morning. Sigh. Never mind.
Anyway, I wasn't any better. Fevered the whole time in school. I had to resort to wearing my jacket to 'sweat it out'. Actually, I felt a little better by the time school ended. But I'd already cancelled remedial, so I roamed around outside a bit before going home. And then, I had fever again. BLAHS.
And so I slept... until about 9plus. Thankfully, the fever's gone, but my throat's not any better (nor worse for that matter).
I'm not really in the mood for blogging, so... bye for now... ;p
jOyZ blogged at 10:37 PM
~~~~~~
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Worse
I've never felt worse.
I knew it. I should have asked for at least a 3-day MC - maybe even a one-week one. I thought I felt better when I woke up, but actually started fevering all the way in school. The best thing was, I had to administer the Paper 1 mock examination for 4H from 2pm to about 3.30pm. Well, at least most of them finished by 3pm, though the weaker ones struggled till about 3.30pm.
I couldn't teach at all. My throat is really bad. It seems inflamed from the hard palate of my mouth all the way down the oesophagus. No wonder my stomach feels queasy all the time. I didn't have dinner today. The only meal I had was a late lunch, which I had around 4pm. If it weren't for the fact I was getting gastric, I wouldn't have allowed anything solid to touch my throat - other than the medication.
I have a strong desire to go medical leave again tomorrow. But the thought of staying at home is even worse. Don't ask me why. I don't want to talk about it.
Arrggghhhh.
I pray for a better tomorrow.
-croaks-
Tomorrow, tomorrowwwwwwwww... I love you, tomorrowwwwwwwwwww...
And it's only a day awayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...
jOyZ blogged at 11:45 PM
~~~~~~
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Grouches Of The Flu-Bugged
I can only imagine that work is piling up on my desk even as I'm on medical leave. I have not checked my Edumail for about 4-5 days and I dread to sign in. Let the inbox flood for all I care! -ppppffffffbbbbbtttttt!- I think I fell ill on Sunday but didn't see the doctor until Monday morning. She gave me a 2-day MC. How nice. I wish she had given me a 3-day one now, because I feel positively WORSE than yesterday.
I woke up at 4am this morning and kept blowing my nose every 5 minutes until I slept again at around 8am. Gosh, that's 4 hours of nose-blowing for you. My ears are quite deaf now. And I seem to have this fever that doesn't want to go away. It's not exactly high - somewhere around 37.8 to 37.9 degree Celsius - never quite hitting the 38 degree Celsius.
Groggy. That's how I feel. It's the same old problem with the blasted nose and throat. Why does flu have to make us suffer in such a manner? Okay, never mind about that question. It can be either scientific or religious. I can't think at the moment.
I think my dad's slurping over his plate of noodles now. I don't feel the least bit hungry. In fact, I feel like vomitting all the time. My doctor said it could be due to the action of swallowing which might have caused the germs from the throat to irritate my stomach. Hm.
I'm not taking my anti-biotics. Absolutely NOT. I feel even more wretched at the sight of those destestable tablets. There's no way I can swallow a huge tablet with my terribly inflamed throat. I'm having difficulty swallowing my own saliva as it is.
And now, I have to eat lunch. My poor throat. :(
jOyZ blogged at 12:39 PM
~~~~~~
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Yesterday...
... was Racial Harmony Day. The first 3 periods (including class contact time) was dedicated to the celebrations.
I had been roped in to be - don't faint - the model for my form class's multi-racial costume. I had to be the plumpest model alive. Wahahah! They'd bought a baby-pink kebaya top and a white skirt with pink and purple laces over the past 2 or 3 days. I had to wear these. Heh.
The girls fussed over my hair in the girls' toilet (oh my, it was SO NOISY! I'd forgotten how noisy it can be in a female students' toilet - coming from an all-girls school myself) and gave me assessories to put on. Minus the unglamourous toilet and screeching school-girls around us, I felt like a celebrity for a while. HAHA. Oh, by the way, I'm so proud of my girls who maintained their composure despite all the racket that was in the toilet. It was noisy enough to cause an almost life-long deafness in one's ears. Thank God the deafness lasted only temporarily.
The catwalk itself was an interesting experience. I was convinced I looked like a clown but, hey, I am a teacher in the school, so I psyched myself up to be as elegant as I could with the stuffs I was wearing. Oszie hyped up my entrance. Haha. Not many people knew I was going to model for my class's design, so quite a few of my colleagues were surprised. It was a miracle I didn't fall flat on my nose. I couldn't bring myself to sashay in front of all the pupils so I just smiled and waved, and prayed I didn't look dumb. Haha. It was, to a certain extent, liberating. -chuckles-
Anyway, I secured the 3rd position and helped my form class in getting 60/60 for their CME project. The win was guaranteed probably because I was a teacher sporting enough have agreed to take part in the fashion competition. Now, all they have to do is to get a least a PASS for the written paper. Just a PASS (20/40), 5B. Miss Tan isn't asking for more. My, and you'll have an impressive 80% in your report book. Hey, isn't that an A? o_O
x)
jOyZ blogged at 11:12 AM
~~~~~~
Monday, July 11, 2005
The Marking Freak
I feel like a marking freak. I've been marking quite a bit today at work. On the one hand, I was quite excited to start marking the Comprehension Test I set for the Sec 3 Express to see how they fare. On the other, I simply had a high stack of pupils' assignments to clear ASAP.
I've finally decided to take a break from being a marking freak. Red really stings the eyes. Painful. But so authoratitive. Haha. It gives the powerful impact no other ink colours can give - though those luminous ones would look too frivolous.
Honestly, I just feel tired but as usual I can't seem to sleep. Logically speaking, I should be able to - having only finished setting the test paper at 3am this morning, thus having merely 2.5 hours of snooze - unrested too because of all the irritating mosquitoes.
Perhaps I'm already dozing off. I feel like I'm in a daze. You know, that floaty, surreal feeling.
-pause and look at my bed-
My beloved handphone, faithful dictionary (have been using it since Primary FOUR!) and the stack of comprehension test papers are scattered all over it.
-hrmph-
I suppose I'll be sleeping with them tonight. I can already envision myself floating into dreamland even as I whip my red pen over my pupils' answers, drooling over the test papers while the red ink smudges my pillow. HAHAHAHAH!
Now you know why I am... The Marking Freak.
jOyZ blogged at 10:19 PM
~~~~~~
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Downpour... The Outpouring of Intense Emotions
It's pouring badly now. The thunders were really loud - didn't like them one bit because they were so deafening.
Something unpleasant happened on Friday evening - left me in tears and I was absolutely unimpressed with that person. I guess I've lost some respect for that person for giving me that kind of treatment. It would be wise for that person to learn speak with tact to EVERYONE - not just people who are useful and important.
Anyway, I'm glad I confronted the person about the whole issue. While I may appear docile and even indifferent to a lot of things, I AM NO PUSHOVER. I shall not blog about this anymore since it's over.
I was supposed to go for gym with Gina and company this afternoon, but I can't finish setting the test paper. Just as well I didn't go. It's raining so heavily now.
Alright, back to work.
jOyZ blogged at 2:22 PM
~~~~~~
Thursday, July 07, 2005
A Trying Week
Week 2's almost coming to an end. I sure am GLAD. It's been a trying week as usual. I've been trying to complete my piles of marking outside after work almost everyday this week. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted.
Anyway, I'm happy that Thursday, my worst day of the week (in addition to the super-packed timetable, I've got EL remedial with my 5B babies), is almost over!!! Hah!!! We did "use your own words" questions for comprehension skill today during remedial. It was just drilling. I guess I'll give them more questions to do tomorrow during lesson.
Oh, PSC scholars will be coming into 5B tomorrow to observe how pupils learn. Duh. I won't be teaching anything at all. It's revision period. It's just drilling, drilling AND more drilling. No teaching done.
Oh well. Since it's only 1 period on Friday (nice timetable), I guess I shouldn't complain.
There's Staff Meeting tomorrow after school too. SIGH... Why eh... of all the days.
jOyZ blogged at 4:45 PM
~~~~~~
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Wouldn't It Be Lovely
I don't know why I typed that as the title of my blog entry. It's a song from My Fair Lady, a musical.
Wouldn't it be lovely if I had a dog?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I could eat and eat without gaining weight?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I had a lot of wealth and do what I've always wanted?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I didn't have to work for money but for fun and for the love of the job?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I had more courage to venture the world outside when I had been younger? To speak up passionately about my own beliefs and decisions? To do what I want?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I had the opportunity to study or work overseas and get to know people from ALL walks of life?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I could just stop worrying about tomorrow and life's nitty gritties, and just take that first step to the unknown?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I could see clear blue skies and pretty white clouds everyday? And if it rains, the rainbow?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I could see where I'm heading towards in my life?
Wouldn't it be lovely if I were happier?
d-_-b
jOyZ blogged at 10:02 PM
~~~~~~
Friday, July 01, 2005
I Survived!
I survived! I actually survived! First week of Semester 2 has been absolutely a nightmare. Too many things to blog about. Anyway, I'm just thankful that I've managed to pull through this week. *mops brow*
Alright. More to come actually. *crosses fingers and toes*
This can't be a lengthy entry. I got arrowed to attend this event at Suntec. The school transport will be leaving soon in 5 minutes.
What a rush. I had actually rush back home after lessons to grab some stuffs and took a cab back to school again. $12 gone for 2 cab rides. Argh.
Gotta zoom. Byebye.
jOyZ blogged at 1:41 PM
~~~~~~
