Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight.
[NIV]
New phase. More changes.
What would the future bring?
PROFILE
ENTRIES
MEMORIES
TAGGIES
= P R O F I L E =
Joyz
03 February
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 More K-Obsessions
I'm so glad! For once, I finished marking for PPR4 early. The next round of marking won't come until this Friday when the English examination scripts will come in. Hah! This means I can indulge a bit more in the K-dramas I bought yesterday - Princess Hours and Wonderful Life. The picture of the little girl in the latter serial caught my attention. Aiyoh! SO CUTE!
Right now, I'm also obsessed with listening to this Korean singer 포지션 (Position). I found this particular site which plays his latest album online: 포지션(Position) 6집 - 애가 (愛歌)[2007.02.08]. The best thing is that there is no lag time listening to all the songs; it's as good as listening to the CD. Ha! Track 4 is 하루 Haru - the one which I'd posted in my previous blog entry. The melody of the song is really beautiful. Argh! It's so frustrating not to be able to understand the lyrics. I can't wait for the holidays to arrive. I'm going to attempt to pick up some proper Korean on my own. Progress has been slow because I've been busy with work and what with all the K-dramas and TVB serials distracting me now and then, I haven't been able to go beyond the basic greetings of 'hello', 'thank you' and a couple of other common conversational phrases.
jOyZ blogged at 12:45 AM
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Monday, September 24, 2007 MV 하루 A Day (ft Lee Dong Gun) - Position
I love this song. I wonder who the singer is. Position? Such a strange stage name. Hehs...
Ah, okay. I found the face of the singer. x)
jOyZ blogged at 9:05 PM
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Sunday, September 23, 2007 Present Obsession
Alright, I'm taking a break again. ;p
Here's my present obsession: Raymond Lam's 爱在记忆中找你. It's a KTV version with all the words there. I wonder if anyone has a good quality version - without all the conversations.
I'm not sure if I'm right, but the MTV reminded me of The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. I was just looking at the pictures; too lazy to figure out the Chinese words. ;p
Okay... back to work!
jOyZ blogged at 6:38 PM
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Have A Break, Have A Blog Entry... On A Movie! x)
I decided to take a break from my marking marathon. I was up till 5 am marking and woke up at 9.30 am to continue. Progress is still very slow. =(
Oh, here's a hilarious Korean movie I'd seen a while back: 못말리는 결혼 or Unstoppable Marriage. As much as I liked the young couple in love, I felt it was their parents who stole the show - especially the male lead's mother who, for all her ostentatious ways, wouldn't stop jabbering like the 'commoner' she originally was. Ironically, her poorer would-be-in-laws appeared more cultivated. It was inevitable that sparks would fly when the prosperous mother met the female lead's poor but proud father. The best part of the movie was of course watching how both parents tried to break their children up - even going as far as chaperoning them during a holiday trip.
Though predictable, it didn't stop me from enjoying the movie thoroughly. =)
Okay, my break is over. It's time to continue the marathon...
jOyZ blogged at 1:36 PM
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Thursday, September 20, 2007 A Time Of Struggles
Indeed, it is a time of plentiful struggles for me.
For one, I'm struggling NOT to binge. It's been so stressful at work that for the past couple of weeks, I've been stuffing my face silly with junks of all types. I feed my ravenous cravings for chocolates, pasta, chips and popcorns. Oh gosh, I miss eating popcorns, especially the super-buttery type. I've definitely gained back the 4kg I'd lost earlier and probably more. -_-
I'm struggling NOT to watch The Drive of Life at the moment. It's too addictive. It's so easy to watch it continuously without stopping. I'm the very intense type. I can watch a serial for 15 hours straight, sleep for 5 hours and wake up again to continue another 15 hours until I finish the entire serial. If it's a long serial, I take 3 days to finish. For a short one, I take 2 days; sometimes 1 day if I don't sleep at all. Thankfully, so far, I have been able to curb the desire to watch the serial this week.
Perhaps I should be reviewing movies and music as a career instead of educating the youths for the rest of my life. That way, I can watch movies and listen to music all the time. Hah! I must be either going crazy or over-stressed.
Honestly, I can't wait for the hotel stay at Conrad Centennial with the girls next month! I am going to try and finish all my marking before that! Can it be done? Hm, that would mean finishing all PPR marking by this coming Thursday and examination marking by the following Friday. xB
What a struggle it's going to be for the coming two weeks. Less sleep... more nights out marking... more unhealthy meals outside... more pimples... stiffer neck and more tensed muscles around the shoulders...
I'm already counting down.
jOyZ blogged at 10:36 PM
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Sunday, September 16, 2007 The Drive Of Life 岁月风云
Argh! I'm dying to watch this TVB serial. I stopped at episode 37 to set my paper. I'm watching this serial a lot more slowly than usual - 2 to 3 episodes a day. And it has 60 episodes!!! GAH!!! I wonder why it has to be so lengthy. ~_~
Well, take a look at the cast in the picture below. Maybe that's why it has 60 episodes. Still, I find it rather longwinded. ;b
Guess what - there's even a relationship chart in Dramawiki. xO
jOyZ blogged at 11:24 PM
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Saturday, September 15, 2007 A Little Update
It's been an exhausting week. I've been home late almost every night because I've been out marking - except for Wednesday and yesterday. I met Gina and Joce for dinner on Wednesday at Holland Village while yesterday I decided to rest at home instead. Progress in my marking is slow. It'll be another frenzied marking marathon this coming week for the deadline is on Thursday.
Some unhappiness happened at home too. Anyway, I'm not bothered. I'm not even upset anymore. It's not as if I've never tried. I've come to a point where I can't feel anything even if I want to. If something big were to happen, I will be just a mere bystander. There are better and more urgent things for me to do than wallow in negativity.
A couple of friends feel that what I'm doing now is on impulse. Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever it is, I've been thinking about it for a very, very long time - since school days. It looks like bad timing now, but I'm going to do what I can first and make my decision later. Many a times when I say I want to do a lot of things, I really take forever to weigh the pros and cons and then decide. More often than not, I'm more impulsive with my words than with my actions. So - you tell me - am I really the impulsive sort? Hohoho.
Only my bestie remains supportive. She's the only one who FULLY understands what I'm going through. Honestly, how I wish I were in HK now. In fact, I plan to go HK this November before it gets too cold in December. Her birthday is in November too. x) Hm, I wonder what she'd like for her birthday present. Okay, never mind. I know what she wants, but it's not something I can give her. Hehs. ;x
Ah, I can't wait for the long holidays. There are a lot of things to be planned and done. Shoot, come to think of it, I may not be able to stay in HK for two weeks. );
Well, first things first. Work! In other words, I gotta run. Au revoir!
jOyZ blogged at 10:37 AM
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Friday, September 07, 2007 On Drama Serials And Life
It's been a while since I last blogged. I've been drowning myself in drama serials for the entire week, watching late into the wee hours of the morning. ;p I have got so many lined up that I simply can't finish them! Once this holiday is over, I must stop and can only hold my drama marathons during the year-end holidays.
The first two serials I watched were Korean - Full House and A Witch In Love (aka Witch Amusement or Yuhee, the Witch). The former is a lot funnier, with two very cute and good-looking lead characters, Song Hye Kyo and Rain (see above). The latter serial isn't exactly fantastic, but - my oh my - I was simply in love with the FOOD, in this case the French cuisine. HAHA!
And speaking of which, I watched Ratatouille with Mel on Wednesday night. It was good because of the food - and humour. It certainly is one of the funniest animated movies produced ever. I must say animated movies these days have very realistic graphics. I remember seeing this scene in the movie where there were buildings in the background and the rat was walking on the pavement, basking in the morning sun. The buildings, trees and even sunlight looked so real. If not for the features of the rat and cartoon-looking vehicles, I would have thought this was a scene created on a real set! =O
Right now, I'm into the last ten instalments of a high-rating TVB drama serial Heart of Greed or 溏心風暴. I've been wanting to watch this serial since the beginning of this year, when I first heard of it, because of this TVB actor Raymond Lam. Haha. Apparently, he's only one of the supporting cast. But I do enjoy such Hong Kong serials featuring big, traditional families because of their storyline and huge cast (read: many eye candies!).
This particular serial teaches the audience a lot of moral values - kudos to the mother played by veteran actress, 李司棋. She is the rock of the family, so much so that when she passes away, the rest of the family cannot handle the waves of problems created by the second wife, a green-eyed and ungrateful character, who is hungry for the family wealth.
Not many TVB serials can tug my heart strings, but this one has made me tear more than usual - something which happens only when I watch Korean dramas. There were also hilarious moments when the four grown-up children and their father tease one another to make their mother, who suffers from cancer, happy. The plot is typical of any TVB family-feuding serials, but the lessons learnt here are timeless and valuable.
Watching this serial made me realise why I've stopped watching local drama productions in recent years, despite the improvements made over the decades. Somehow, the newer ones don't evoke as much emotions in me and I find their storylines unpalatable. The better ones are actually those set in colonial Singapore, particularly during the Japanese Occupation.
I'm not sure if it's the teacher in me that is speaking here, but I feel serials or movies which portray the struggles of life actually teach us important principles and values, which - once challenged - cause us to think and feel deeper. How many hilarious shows have we watched and forgotten? And yet, I still remember one of the oldest local productions in the 80s, The Awakening or 雾锁南洋 and how much history and life lessons I'd learnt as a child watching the drama serial. It was my first exposure to LIFE.
It's sad that people (myself included - sometimes) watch serials and movies for entertainment nowadays. But I guess it can't be helped. After all, we are already facing a lot of pressure in our own lives and we don't need to drown ourselves with more sadness by watching tear-jerkers all the time. Still, I feel it's how the mind chooses to perceive the situation. There's always a silver lining in every cloud. More often than not, we do pick up valuable lessons (which we can apply in our own lives) simply by watching the life experiences of a character in a drama.
jOyZ blogged at 1:14 PM
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Saturday, September 01, 2007 Celebrations And A Prayer
I know this is not the first time I'm saying this, but... TIME REALLY FLIES! GAHHH!!! It's already the end of Term 3!!! I'm glad anyway - that the September break is here.
We had ACES Day and Teacher's Day celebrations in school yesterday. It was really fantastic to see almost everyone so involved and motivated for the ACES Day dance competition. The girls in my form class drilled me the steps until 6pm on Thursday! Despite having danced (Chinese dance, modern dance and worship dancing) most of my life until a few years ago, I felt very rusty in my movements. I guess this is what we call 'getting old'. Weeps!
A number of ex-pupils from 5B'05 came back yesterday morning: Jiayun, Junkai, Darwin, Reynold, Melody, Sherlyn, Candice, Selwyn, Jiaming, Aloysius, Eugene Koh, Tian Guan, Jocelyn, Jieyong and the one who came the latest, John. Haha. It's been two years since they've graduated and they still come back to visit the teachers. Most of their examinations were over, so they could come by. Aloysius even rushed down right after his examination, while John came after his soccer game - though he did have time to shower before coming over! Heh heh.
Dear 5B'05: Thanks for the photo frame and Border's card. Seeing all of you again was really good. I don't think I've smiled so much in one morning for quite a while - so much so that I had slight facial muscle cramps after that. Hahahah! But it was great. =)
It's really heartening to see how much they've grown and matured since they were in secondary school. I understand how difficult it is for them to wake up early in the morning just to come by to visit the teachers because I see them online on MSN until the wee hours of the morning every day! Either they leave their computers switched on every night or they are still busy with their mugging and projects. Heh.
Some ex-pupils from 4G'05 came back too - Zhaohui, Yamei, Meiying, Razali, Amin and Kin Hong. Kar Keat and I talked to them for a while. They all looked so different now - matured and more steady. A number of 4B'06 and 4C'06 ex-pupils returned as well, but I didn't have the chance to talk to them. They looked fine though. Most of them looked so different - especially the girls. I doubt I can recognize them if I were to see them on the streets! Zhen'ai and Keith came by as well. Haha... so rare to see Zhen'ai. I had the impression she wasn't going back to visit. ;p
I had lunch after that with Cheryl at Tanglin Mall before I succumbed to the temptation of buying a couple more Korean dramas on DVD at POH KIM. Hahaha. (Don't ask me why I'm using upper cased alphabets for the name of this DVD shop. I don't even know why myself!) I think I have more than enough DVDs to occupy me during this one-week holiday. I'm not even sure if I can finish watching everything! =O
The Teachers' Day dinner for our school was held at the Singapore Art Museum. The theme of the night was 'Masquerade' so everyone received a mask for the evening. Though the food was terrible (except for the laksa - now how I wish I'd eaten more of it), there were a lot of laughters because Halil and Yee Kai were really funny. We had the usual induction for new staff - which meant 'sabo' time! Everyone was in peals of laughter by the time they were through with the whole process. I think teachers are really the best actors and actresses - the next best, that is, after the professional ones. We have the darnest and most creative ways to entertain ourselves. ;P
I was laughing so hard until I forgot to reply my cousin's invitation for KTV with her and her colleagues. Haha. Anyway, a few of us went to Dempsy for drinks after dinner. I guess I could have joined my cousin and her colleagues for KTV after that, but I thought I'd better go home and rest - since I'd just recovered from sickness not too long ago. Eventually though, after washing up, I ended up watching one of the K-dramas I'd bought earlier in the afternoon. Somehow, I must have dozed off and unknowingly dragged myself to bed. I remember catching a glimpse of a time before I concussed: 5 am. Hahaha... All I can say is just one thing: THANK GOD FOR THE HOLIDAYS! x)
The GCE 'N' Level papers will be commencing during the September holidays. I hope everyone will make it through - even if they aren't coming back next year. It's better to have an 'N' Level certificate than nothing at all. They can always choose to continue with their studies later on. Anyway, here's wishing them all the best. I remember dedicating one of my birthday wishes to 4E'07 - the other was for Choir's SYF performance earlier this year. Although there's nothing very much I can do at this point, I will do the only thing I can: pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, may all of them be in their top form during the entire 'N' Level examination - so that they will be able to analyse ALL questions (for ALL subjects) carefully and receive the full and correct interpretation of what is required. May they all have superb memory - so that they will be able to recall all that they have memorised or learnt and apply the knowledge appropriately in answering the examination questions. May they all have stamina - so that they will be able to sit through and complete the entire paper (for ALL subjects) without feeling any mental or physical exhaustion. May they all have peace in their hearts - so that they will not panic, but remain calm as they face the examination papers. Even if they were to encounter unfamiliar words, phrases or questions, may they receive instant inspiration on how to derive the full, accurate meaning of all these, and then answer as well as they can. Last but not least, please grant them a good rest no matter how little it is - so that they will have the mental alertness and physical strength to complete the entire examination. I pray all this in Jesus' most powerful name. Amen.
Right now, I'm also obsessed with listening to this Korean singer 포지션 (Position). I found this particular site which plays his latest album online: 포지션(Position) 6집 - 애가 (愛歌)[2007.02.08]. The best thing is that there is no lag time listening to all the songs; it's as good as listening to the CD. Ha! Track 4 is 하루 Haru - the one which I'd posted in my previous blog entry. The melody of the song is really beautiful. Argh! It's so frustrating not to be able to understand the lyrics. I can't wait for the holidays to arrive. I'm going to attempt to pick up some proper Korean on my own. Progress has been slow because I've been busy with work and what with all the K-dramas and TVB serials distracting me now and then, I haven't been able to go beyond the basic greetings of 'hello', 'thank you' and a couple of other common conversational phrases.
Oh, here's a hilarious Korean movie I'd seen a while back: 못말리는 결혼 or Unstoppable Marriage. As much as I liked the young couple in love, I felt it was their parents who stole the show - especially the male lead's mother who, for all her ostentatious ways, wouldn't stop jabbering like the 'commoner' she originally was. Ironically, her poorer would-be-in-laws appeared more cultivated. It was inevitable that sparks would fly when the prosperous mother met the female lead's poor but proud father. The best part of the movie was of course watching how both parents tried to break their children up - even going as far as chaperoning them during a holiday trip.
For one, I'm struggling NOT to binge. It's been so stressful at work that for the past couple of weeks, I've been stuffing my face silly with junks of all types. I feed my ravenous cravings for chocolates, pasta, chips and popcorns. Oh gosh, I miss eating popcorns, especially the super-buttery type. I've definitely gained back the 4kg I'd lost earlier and probably more. -_-
Honestly, I can't wait for the hotel stay at Conrad Centennial with the girls next month! I am going to try and finish all my marking before that! Can it be done? Hm, that would mean finishing all PPR marking by this coming Thursday and examination marking by the following Friday. xB
It's been a while since I last blogged. I've been drowning myself in drama serials for the entire week, watching late into the wee hours of the morning. ;p I have got so many lined up that I simply can't finish them! Once this holiday is over, I must stop and can only hold my drama marathons during the year-end holidays.
The first two serials I watched were Korean - Full House and A Witch In Love (aka Witch Amusement or Yuhee, the Witch). The former is a lot funnier, with two very cute and good-looking lead characters, Song Hye Kyo and Rain (see above). The latter serial isn't exactly fantastic, but - my oh my - I was simply in love with the FOOD, in this case the French cuisine. HAHA!
And speaking of which, I watched Ratatouille with Mel on Wednesday night. It was good because of the food - and humour. It certainly is one of the funniest animated movies produced ever. I must say animated movies these days have very realistic graphics. I remember seeing this scene in the movie where there were buildings in the background and the rat was walking on the pavement, basking in the morning sun. The buildings, trees and even sunlight looked so real. If not for the features of the rat and cartoon-looking vehicles, I would have thought this was a scene created on a real set! =O
