= FAVOURITE WORD =
Proverbs 3:5-6
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?
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesdays With Morrie On A Thursday
Four hours without electricity at home can be torturous to many. Just think of how dependent we are on electricity today. We need it for cooking, to do our work and definitely for entertainment.
Guess what I did without four hours of electricity today?
I read a book. Not a pupil's essay. Not the newspaper. Not a magazine. A book! It's something which I hadn't done in months! HAHA!
Actually, I reread Tuesdays With Morrie. Even though it was my second time reading it, I still cracked up and teared as if I was reading it for the first time.
Here are some of my favourite memorable quotes from the book.
"Death ends a life, not a relationship."
"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."
"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."
The book is really about learning how to live life meaningfully. What matters most in our lives? To some, it's fame, glory and/or material gains. To some, it's work and the intrinsic benefits it brings. To some, it's our loved ones. To some, it's the narcissistic self.
But in the face of death, what matters most will hit us between the eyes: the relationships forged with the people around us. Will our family, friends and all other people who know us remember us after we die? Have we given our best to others as a son, daughter, father, mother, sibling, friend or colleague?
How ready are we to go when death comes aknocking unexpectedly?
jOyZ blogged at 4:04 PM
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesdays With Joyzie
Haha. Okay. I know, I know. The title is really an unoriginal attempt, 'stolen' from Tuesdays With Morrie, which is an excellent read for anyone who wishes to curl up with a book on the sofa. This blog, on the contrary, is a really random post - published out of pure boredom. So, be warned! xP
Nothing much, really. I don't know why I bother to create a second entry for today when I have nothing else to share besides that article I posted earlier on.
La la la...
Oh, here are a couple of pictures which Joce and I took of each other during dinner at Marina on Sunday.
Joce looking sassy in her recent haircut
Yours truly, grinning from ear to ear
Sorry, no pictures of food. I was so hungry after our shopping that I forgot all about taking great pictures of our delectable dishes. HAHA! Then again, the food wasn't that superb. Therefore, no loss! ;p
Speaking of which, it's time for LUNCH and my beloved K-drama! Tuesdays with Joyzie certainly sounds like: what one can do to be a slob every Tuesday. Hur hur.
jOyZ blogged at 12:34 PM
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The Most Costly Cities To Live In
This particular article on MSN news caught my eye. In fact, Vanessa mentioned this before some weeks back when we were chatting online. Which reminds me - I must buy the yen soon for my trip to Japan.
Seoul is Asia's costliest city for expatriates: survey
Seoul is Asia's (see left, Incheon Airport) costliest city for expatriates while the weaker yen has made Japanese cities more affordable, a survey released Monday said.
The latest twice-yearly survey by human resources firm ECA International showed the South Korean capital jump one notch higher to rank seventh globally in a list of the most expensive places for expatriates over the last 12 months.
Tokyo (see right, Tokyo Tower) retained its place as the second most expensive Asian city but globally, the Japanese capital dropped out of the top 10 list for the first time because of the weaker yen.
"Depreciation of the yen against most other currencies, coupled with low inflation, has significantly reduced living costs for foreigners in Tokyo, Yokohama and Kobe in recent years," ECA International said.
Yokohama placed third, followed by Kobe, Hong Kong, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore (left picture), with the Chinese city of Guangzhou taking the 10th spot, the survey said.
There were 15 Chinese cities featured in the list of 39 Asian cities surveyed.
Higher food prices, along with the strengthening Chinese currency, have seen expatriates' living costs in Chinese cities go up, narrowing the gap with other more developed East Asian cities such as Hong Kong and Taipei.
A panoramic view of Hong Kong
"In China, soaring food, oil and grain product prices along with the strengthening yuan against the US dollar have meant that locations throughout China have pushed up through the ranking during this period," ECA International said.
Jakarta was the 11th most expensive place, Bangkok was in 18th place and Manila was in 19th place. Hanoi, in 32nd place, was judged as more expensive than Kuala Lumpur which was in 33rd place, just a notch above the Laotian capital Vientianne.
Islamabad was the least expensive among the Asian cities surveyed at number 39.
Globally, Angola's capital city Luanda was the most expensive for expatriates.
It was followed by Oslo, Moscow, Norway's seaport town of Stavanger, Copenhagen, Kinshasa, Seoul, Gabon's capital of Libreville and Geneva. Central London was in tenth spot.
"Some people may be surprised to see African locations in the top 10," said Lee Quane, ECA's Hong Kong-based general manager.
He said ECA's survey included items bought by expatriates that were not readily available locally which meant they were more expensive.
"In addition, the commodity boom in recent years has led to considerable currency appreciations in commodity-exporting markets, such as Angola, making it an increasingly expensive location for expatriates," Quane said.
ECA's twice-yearly survey compares a basket of 128 consumer items purchased by expatriates in over 300 locations globally.
jOyZ blogged at 10:58 AM
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Sunday, November 25, 2007
Confined Freedom
Alright. I admit it. I have a second blog. I'm not going to say where. It's the only private space I have in cyberspace, where everything is far too opened.
Why don't I just write a diary then? You know, like use my hand and a pen to scribble my thoughts and feelings on a page in a pretty-looking book.
Well, for one, my room is an absolute mess. I don't need an extra book to mess it up any further (although I did think one extra book wouldn't make much of a difference). Then, there's the danger of my parents nosing around in my room too much and chancing upon the precious secret book. They'd faint upon reading the contents and language. HAH. (Hey, teachers are as human as anyone else on earth.)
Actually I used to write my diary entries in a book, but it became such a hassle to keep it out of my nosy parents' sight - and reach. They already have this annoying habit of opening my mails without my permission and/or knowledge. Also, writing was physically draining on my poor hand, especially when I had tonnes to pour out. But I must say it did wonders to calm my nerves later on. Whatever pent-up frustrations I bore would dissipate fast because I wrote with such vigour that you could actually feel the prints of my handwriting on many pages after the ones I'd scrawled on.
A few years ago, some people had the ingenious idea of developing web-logging (which later became the term 'blogging') sites among other things, where Internet users could express themselves freely. In 2003, I decided to pick up my diary-writing again with the use of Blogger.com. I thought it was a really cool idea to share my daily life with the world (whoever would be interested enough to read my entries, that is). It was also a good way to keep my friends updated on what had been going on in my life. At the same time, it served as some kind of record on how I've lived my life and how much or little I've changed. Most importantly, blogging has helped preserve my sanity in this fast-paced society. I could type my frustrations and unhappiness away. It's actually a lot faster to type than scribble my thoughts on a page.
Unfortunately, the very quality that makes Internet such a huge success is giving rise to controversies in the freedom of expression. The Internet is for all to access. How is it possible to prevent some cad from reading your online diary? I don't mind friends, ex-pupils, strangers and even my bosses reading my entries, but what motives do they have and what are they going to do with the information they know about me? If I'm going to get stoned for making a negative but true remark about, say, some high-ranking hot shot, what freedom of expression is there on the Internet?
I've come across blog entries where my pupils criticised me and called me unpleasant names. The first few times it happened, I was extremely bothered by it. All the efforts I put into helping my pupils were being disregarded and, worse still, trampled on. However, I quickly learnt that more often than not, those were just words of angst and ignorance. I don't feel as upset as before when I read blogs like that now. To say I feel completely A-okay is a lie. Who wouldn't be upset with insulting criticisms? But I've learnt to take a step backward and use the piece of information more constructively in helping my pupils.
How true indeed is the saying, "With freedom comes great responsibility." Anyone has the freedom to type anything on the Internet, but one has to be able to shoulder the consequences that result from that free expression. Can we take responsibility for what we've blogged about? What seems like a harmless comment to us doesn't necessarily evoke the same feeling in another.
To be honest, it has become very difficult for me to share my true thoughts and feelings without having to fear I wouldn't get crucified. I have to select words and phrases that are more diplomatic. I can't even blog about what made me really miserable at work. (Remember reading my entries about my painful marking duties? Those are merely the tip of the iceberg.) Otherwise, I have to make my entry look senseless to readers, which I abhor immensely. Because of my poor memory, I may not remember - many years later when I revisit my older blog entries - what the riddled entry was referring to.
At work, teachers have also been advised and cautioned against blogging anything that may incur anyone's wrath, especially when we're supposed to be role models to our pupils. It's tiresome enough in reality when it comes to human relations. We don't need the extra burden to mess up our lives any further. (Hm, doesn't that sound familiar?) Of course, now that blogging sites offer the very useful feature of locking entries, one can keep one's online journal concealed from the eyes of another.
Still, it's such an irony. Our freedom to express our true thoughts and feelings is confined to ourselves, and at most people we trust. Otherwise, we suffer the piercing thrusts of the dagger!
jOyZ blogged at 10:33 AM
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Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thoughts On Living And Leaving
I was just reading this travel article on Hvar, Croatia where Amy is now residing with her special half Matko and their dog Xena. It seems that Hvar is the most ideal place to be if one wishes to have a peaceful vacation. The place is as idyllic and picturesque as it gets.
The article also mentioned Matko's two secrets to happiness: good health and peace.
It led me to think about the common saying, "Life is not a bed of roses."
What if life can be a bed of roses? Like how it is with Amy, Matko and doggy Xena.
But, how is that possible? We face problems - all kinds of them - every day in our lives. It's just impossible that people in Hvar can live happily ever after. I'm sure they don't. I think it's just how travellers view them. Yeah, right. So Amy should come back Singapore for good any time soon. But it doesn't seem that way.
Well, if I knew my world history any better, I might have understood a lot earlier. Croatia was war-torned about ten years back. Perhaps the pain and suffering back then had taught the people to cherish the more important things in life and not to pursue the superficial. I don't know. It's just my own speculation. They weren't described as ambitious (like how driven I know some people are) in the travel article.
There's definitely a stark contrast between Singapore and Hvar Island. Singapore is probably one of the most hectic cities in the world to live in while Hvar is the complete opposite. The article mentioned some shops there are closed from noon to 5 pm or even not opened for business at all. Allow me to quote the travel author: "The same trait of languidness that makes them poor business owners also makes them the perfect culture to visit for vacation."
Actually, to be honest, I'm not sure if I would want to live happily ever after in such a paradise-like place. Whether I'm half-crazy at work or avoiding being rammed into at human-congested shopping malls, I wish more often than not I weren't living in Singapore at all, that I could get away from it all forever and ever. But now I question myself: Can I give up all the comforts I've so conveniently taken for granted and live somewhere that's the total opposite of where I am now? I seriously don't think I can - not even to escape the madness of city life.
Hvar sounds too agricultural for me to want to live in. It would probably be a good place for me to go on a vacation; nothing more. I can't live without my IT gadgets, K-dramas, movies in cinemas with hi-tech facilities, city-shopping and good food in posh restaurants. And I do have a dream to own a swanky apartment. (It's just a dream. I definitely can't afford anything swanky with my meagre salary. Not even ten, twenty or fifty years down the road.)
So I applaud Amy for her courage to have been able to uproot herself from her comfort zone to live in a place which gives her the opportunity to enjoy what's more important in life - good health and peace. She knows what's good for her and was convinced enough to take action four years ago. I guess that's how one reaches the state of peace - to know, be convinced and take action no matter what.
Moi. I'm still wondering if I'm brave enough to leave Singapore. Then again, who knows? I only know my dreams and desires will change as I age. Meanwhile, I'm only brave enough to leave Singapore for overseas vacations. Heh.
jOyZ blogged at 10:29 AM
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Friday, November 16, 2007
Unwell Yet Well For Food and K-Drama
The farewell dinner for Mr Lau at Temasek Club went well. I'm glad I went in the end. I haven't been feeling very well lately. The minute I got home from work today, I took a nap. Later on, I couldn't seem to drag myself out of bed too. But, somehow, I managed.
The food was good. And so was the company I sat with at the table - Siew Hui, Gek Eng, Karen, Raechel, Grace, Andrew, Yee Kai, Mr Chong and Gay Min. We were laughing so much that I felt well enough to go for two servings of the food! In fact, I was the only female who had a second helping. Haha. I felt less guilty sitting and eating beside Gay Min because he really had a hearty appetite! But, of course, I'm regretting now. ;O
Halil was funny as the emcee for the evening. I was laughing so much that I'd actually started coughing. I decided to come home early instead of joining some of them for drinks and/or KTV. My throat would only get worse with all the drinking and singing. xO
I think I'm going to watch one episode of this K-drama Coffee Prince before I sleep. I've only seen 5 episodes of it but the serial has kept me laughing like a lunatic since the first episode. xD
jOyZ blogged at 10:25 PM
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
A Somewhat Busy Week
It's been a somewhat busy week. I've been out quite a bit too, meeting up with friends.
Monday: There was Choir practice until 6.15 pm or so. Then I was discussing some matters with Ai Ming while we were waiting for cabs. After that, I rushed to Wisma's 鼎泰丰 for dinner with Mag. We ate and yakked until the staff told us they were closing. Eventually, we went over to the 24-hour McDonald's along Scotts Road and continued talking until late.
Tuesday: I drove to NTU for some appreciation event for SCMs and CTs. It was quite lame because 90% of the time, even as I was scribbling notes, I wasn't paying close attention. The talk lasted for more than an hour. By the time we were 'released', my stomach was growling with hunger. I had lunch with Mdm Teoh, but the food was terrible. Her ex-pupil came by and bought us drinks and we chatted for a while before I left for home at about 1.30 pm.
Wednesday: I did lunch with Gina and Kris at AMK Hub's New York New York. The food was quite terrible. After that, I drove Gina and I to town, where Gina went off to meet her client while I rushed for my haircut appointment. I was dreadfully late (by 45 min!) but was all done in good time - even before Joce arrived for her appointment. After she was done, we drove to Muhd Sultan area for dinner and catch-up session.
Thursday: It was Deepavali, a public holiday. Cheryl, Pei Chin and I made plans to meet for movie and dinner. One pupil joined us for the movie. Bee Movie was very cute and hilarious. I was guffawing the whole time - even when no one was laughing. HAHA! I like Seinfeld. He's really good. x) Dinner was at some inaccessible restaurant at Mount Emily. The food was not too bad. Desserts were great (and, in case you don't know by now, I'm not a big fan of desserts). The chocolate cake was fantastic - with the lava-like chocolate oozing from the cake. Simply shiok! The black sesame with vanilla ice-cream was interesting too. Initially, we were expecting a thick black sesame soup similar to what we have for Chinese desserts, but it was more powderish than smooth. Still, the taste made an impression.
Friday: I had dinner at Shyama's place. She cooked paella (a Spanish rice dish) Indian-style! It was really quite nice. I think I had like two servings of it. Haha! Most of the time we were watching Harjun's antics. He loves receiving all the attention. It was a pity Jane and Benson couldn't come by. I miss Jane. I was hoping she'd bring her baby daughter along. We left at about 9-tish and I drove to United Square to meet Mel. I lost my way around Bukit Batok partly because it was dark and I had difficulty driving and looking out for the sign boards at the same time. It was a good thing traffic was a lot less heavy by then.
Eventually, I took the highway and, upon reaching Novena, I had a bit of a problem looking for the carpark entrance to United Square. Hahaha... I think I spent about 15 minutes driving all over the place! Poor Mel, had to wait for me. By the time I arrived at Bungalow (see picture above - http://www.bungalowtapas.com/), it was already 10.30 pm. I hadn't seen her since our hotel stay at Conrad, so we spent quite a bit of time catching up. We left a little past midnight and I sent her home.
Saturday (today): Nothing! I plan to just rest and relax at home. =D
Sunday (tomorrow): I have facial appointment with Joce at 10 am! And then we're going to relax in one of the jacuzzis available there. Finally, we'll be heading for the 2.30 pm church service.
The coming week should be less hectic. I will be back in school, staying back late to spring-clean my table. It's like a mini warzone area at the moment. I'm not looking forward to discovering roaches, lizards, spiders and silverfish! x6
Alright, I should stop blogging. Here's something I did for my bestie on Facebook. She probably had a fantastic time with her beau in HK. Haha!
jOyZ blogged at 3:57 PM
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Going Crazy...
I'm going crazy (in whatever sense you interpret) over a few things at the moment.
1) SEM: I was given a week to churn out reports for SEM, but I'm still nowhere near to completion. I realise I hate analysing data and writing reports. Which job doesn't require these? Maybe I should quit and become a road sweeper. Sweep all day and help to keep Singapore clean and green. Okay, that's RIDICULOUS. Sigh!
2) Choir: There are many things to discuss with Ai Ming concerning the school choir - the concert on 23 December, our plans next year and beyond. There are so many things to settle before I leave on 17 December. Otherwise, Marilyn will go crazy. Soo Sin won't be around either until 20 December. I'm so glad Ai Ming is training the Exco to organise the concert. At least they are learning something constructive beyond the school subjects this holiday. I hope they have fun at the same time though.
3) Facebook and long-lost friends: I'm getting the hang of how Facebook works now. It's quite fun - even more interesting than Friendster. I have actually found my long lost friends (from HCJC and IRC) via Facebook - even an ex-tutor! So I've been emailing to them. I've known most of these people more than a decade ago, so I'm really excited. Quite a number of my chums, old church friends and ex-pupils are already using Facebook too, so everyone's busy adding more friends on one another's lists.
4) Driving: I've been driving quite a bit the past week. Yesterday, it was my first time driving along PIE to NTU. There's really no big deal about that, I guess. But I'd actually driven there without checking the route properly. Haha. It wasn't that difficult to look out for the correct exits to go to NTU and to go home. On my way home though, I thought I'd missed the Eng Neo Avenue exit because it took me so long to arrive to it. I was actually considering driving round the island if I'd really missed the exit. Hah.
5) Digestive system: I haven't been eating well lately. Food doesn't seem to interest me very much these days. It's partly because I'm having a little problem with my digestive system; suffering from stomachaches now and then. But no, I haven't lost any weight because of this. What a pity.
Sigh. Right. Back to SEM.
jOyZ blogged at 8:51 AM
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Friday, November 02, 2007
Mad About Korean Dramas & OSTs
jOyZ blogged at 10:41 AM
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Thursday, November 01, 2007
More Woes
I don't know why I have so much woes lately. x(
Woe number one: I've caught a cold yesterday. Thankfully, though, I could leave invigilation earlier. I felt I wasn't able to invigilate for the second paper because I had a fever. At home, I slept like a log after grabbing a quick bite for brunch and popping a couple of panadol pills.
Woe number two: The lunch date with Mag and Gina had to be postponed. Hopefully, we can meet next week without anymore hiccups.
Woe number three: I still have an SEM report to churn out by next Monday. )x And I almost forgot - all the markers' reports which I owe Yani big time. Actually, I've finished most of them (handwritten). It's just a matter of typing everything out.
Hm, I think I'll go back to school next week after my invigilation duties are over in the mornings, so that I can finish up all these paper work. I probably have to go back to school the week after just to spring-clean my table. It's been in a mighty mess the past several months. I wonder how I'd survived my hideous table habits all these years.
I suppose it's high time I develop the virtue of orderliness. HAH.
jOyZ blogged at 10:46 AM
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Actually I used to write my diary entries in a book, but it became such a hassle to keep it out of my nosy parents' sight - and reach. They already have this annoying habit of opening my mails without my permission and/or knowledge. Also, writing was physically draining on my poor hand, especially when I had tonnes to pour out. But I must say it did wonders to calm my nerves later on. Whatever pent-up frustrations I bore would dissipate fast because I wrote with such vigour that you could actually feel the prints of my handwriting on many pages after the ones I'd scrawled on.
I've come across blog entries where my pupils criticised me and called me unpleasant names. The first few times it happened, I was extremely bothered by it. All the efforts I put into helping my pupils were being disregarded and, worse still, trampled on. However, I quickly learnt that more often than not, those were just words of angst and ignorance. I don't feel as upset as before when I read blogs like that now. To say I feel completely A-okay is a lie. Who wouldn't be upset with insulting criticisms? But I've learnt to take a step backward and use the piece of information more constructively in helping my pupils.
To be honest, it has become very difficult for me to share my true thoughts and feelings without having to fear I wouldn't get crucified. I have to select words and phrases that are more diplomatic. I can't even blog about what made me really miserable at work. (Remember reading my entries about my painful marking duties? Those are merely the tip of the iceberg.) Otherwise, I have to make my entry look senseless to readers, which I abhor immensely. Because of my poor memory, I may not remember - many years later when I revisit my older blog entries - what the riddled entry was referring to.
But, how is that possible? We face problems - all kinds of them - every day in our lives. It's just impossible that people in Hvar can live happily ever after. I'm sure they don't. I think it's just how travellers view them. Yeah, right. So Amy should come back Singapore for good any time soon. But it doesn't seem that way.
There's definitely a stark contrast between Singapore and Hvar Island. Singapore is probably one of the most hectic cities in the world to live in while Hvar is the complete opposite. The article mentioned some shops there are closed from noon to 5 pm or even not opened for business at all. Allow me to quote the travel author: "The same trait of languidness that makes them poor business owners also makes them the perfect culture to visit for vacation."
So I applaud Amy for her courage to have been able to uproot herself from her comfort zone to live in a place which gives her the opportunity to enjoy what's more important in life - good health and peace. She knows what's good for her and was convinced enough to take action four years ago. I guess that's how one reaches the state of peace - to know, be convinced and take action no matter what.
It's been a somewhat busy week. I've been out quite a bit too, meeting up with friends.
Thursday: It was Deepavali, a public holiday. Cheryl, Pei Chin and I made plans to meet for movie and dinner. One pupil joined us for the movie. Bee Movie was very cute and hilarious. I was guffawing the whole time - even when no one was laughing. HAHA! I like Seinfeld. He's really good. x) Dinner was at some inaccessible restaurant at Mount Emily. The food was not too bad. Desserts were great (and, in case you don't know by now, I'm not a big fan of desserts). The chocolate cake was fantastic - with the lava-like chocolate oozing from the cake. Simply shiok! The black sesame with vanilla ice-cream was interesting too. Initially, we were expecting a thick black sesame soup similar to what we have for Chinese desserts, but it was more powderish than smooth. Still, the taste made an impression.
I like this K-drama 안녕하세요, 하느님 or Hello, Mr. God. It's about this Forrest Gump-like chap who is 27 years old with an IQ of 65. It's an extremely touching and meaningful drama and I cried buckets of tears.
As for 헬로 애기씨 or Hello! Miss, I found it hilarious at first but somewhere from the middle of the series onwards, it became rather draggy. Thankfully, the good-looking actresses and actors made watching it easier to bear. Haha. I'm just not the kind to quit half way through a drama serial unless it's really awful.
