I love the blue sky

Saturday, March 29, 2008
Preoccupied

Hahahah! I WISH!!!

Your Travel Personality Is: The Sophisticate

You're well educated and cultured, and the places you travel to reflect that.

You appreciate the best art, food, architecture, and local flavor.

A true traveler, you are destined to be multi-lingual and very worldly.

What's Your Travel Personality?

In all honesty, I wish to drop everything and fly off somewhere this very instant. Work at school is taking its toll on my health. My sleeping and eating habits have gone awry. No matter how exhausted I am, I can't seem to sleep beyond 5 to 6 hours without having to wake up, stay awake for another hour or so before falling asleep again. I tend to binge now too.

My mind is preoccupied with several things now. They are in no particular order of importance or preference.

1) Setting of mid-year examination papers
2) Marking of pupils' various assignments
3) Choir practices and Aesthetic Night rehearsals
4) NDP 2008 administrative matters for Choir
5) Choir administrative matters
6) Choir
7) Crime Prevention Skit competition
8) EPC with 5A 08
9) Good Character Award
10) EBS Course
11) Further studies - what, when and where?
12) Losing excess fats
13) Meeting up with the girls (I miss them all)
14) Choir
15) Lesson preparation for the coming week
16) Marking
17) Choir
18) Marking
19) Choir
20) Marking

Okay. You can see what I'm mainly preoccupied with. ;|

jOyZ blogged at 3:14 PM

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Monday, March 24, 2008
New English?

Someone showed me this.

I was so incredulous that I couldn't even laugh.

jOyZ blogged at 12:12 AM

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Saturday, March 22, 2008
A Lengthy Update

I don't seem to have much time to blog these days. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure. Blogging does help me to reflect a little on what is taking place in my life. I wouldn't say I'm a deep thinker, but blogging kind of forces me to sit down and think about my present predicament and whether I'm happy or miserable. But, this can be quite a time-consuming process at times.

The first week of Term 2 is over. It was a short week because we had our school Sports Day on Wednesday and Friday was a public holiday (in celebration of Easter). The March break was eventful - mainly because of the Choir Day Camp and my trip to Hong Kong.

The HK trip to visit my bestie was quite alright. It wasn't exactly the most fun and relaxing holiday I've had. My purpose of visit was to help her with her wedding plans anyway. It's still at the brainstorming stage and we went around quite a number of bridal boutiques to check out bridal gowns. At night, we watched 러브스토리 인 하버 or Love Story In Harvard, whilst she talked to her beau on the phone. Haha.

Shopping was a complete zilch; I didn't buy anything at all and spent a record low of less than S$100 (excluding airfare and/or accommodation) for an overseas trip! I bunked over at her place as usual so accommodation was free. (I'm going to miss this when I go HK after she gets married.) She generously paid for most of the meals we ate, though I also offered to pay for a couple of dinners we had. We went Chao Inn for a dimsum brunch on Saturday. Here are some shots of what we ate. Some of the photos didn't turn out well due to my pathetic photography skills. xP

Most of what I'd spent was on transport. Ha, I actually brought home the Octopus Card (their EZ-link equivalent for the public transport there) so that I don't have to buy another one when I go HK again in December.

Why December? Well, that's the month my bestie is getting hitched. =) That means I have less than 9 months to shed some weight! If she has no particular colour theme for her wedding dinner that night, I'm hoping to wear the evening gown I used for Vanessa's wedding 6 years ago. In order to do that, I need to lose a lot of mass to fit into the dress. To think I used to be so slim just 6 years ago. ;\ My health really isn't what it used to be.

Oh yes, the following were taken on our ferry ride to 湾仔. ;)

Clock tower with HK Cultural Centre

Cool building - Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

I had to take a picture with the boat in the background!

Here's the reason why. Haha!

And, I really, really love these miniatures! The details are incredible! They look so real!

Notice the 'smoke' floating from the ash tray behind the cash counter?

On furthering my studies, I'm still in two (in fact, three, four, five and even six) minds about what course to take up. The more people I consult, the more options I have. There are so many choices that I'm confused now. I've been asking myself what it is that I really want. Is it a promotion? Is it the money? (I'm very reluctant to take a pay-cut which is inevitable for a job-switch. I'm too used to my present lifestyle!) Is it the exposure and/or experiences I get to have if I were to study overseas? What is it exactly?

In all honesty, I wish I'd come to a decision 5 years ago when my 3-year bond with MOE was up. Back then I was younger and had less to worry about. But I delayed my studies for my students. Then again, I must say it was for a worthwhile cause and they did me proud. Most of them are now moving into their 3rd year in the various polytechnics. I probably should have left to further my studies when they graduated from secondary school, but circumstances didn't quite allow it then.

I usually snap myself back to reality at this point because there really is no room for regret. It's useless to think of all the 'what if's and 'if only's. I shouldn't be wasting anymore time with all these. I'm not getting any younger.

So, what is it that I really want? This is the question that always stumps me.

jOyZ blogged at 1:04 PM

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Wednesday, March 12, 2008
A Lengthy Ramble

I'll be flapping off to Hong Kong in another 12 hours or so. My brother has so very kindly offered to send me to the airport - that is, if he can make it in time after his appointment to see the doctor. Heh.

It's been a busy two days so far because of the Choir Day Camp. The turn out was good on Monday. Unfortunately, this was not sustained on the second day due to several factors. Hopefully, attendance will not further deteriorate on the third day. It's always a challenge to conduct a day camp because some pupils will somehow not come for the subsequent days. Overnight camps ensure a more stable attendance rate since most pupils are likely to stay in school overnight. The night activities are also usually more fun.

I must say the new members this year have been quite sporting so far. Despite the shortage of manpower, somehow activities could still be carried out - all thanks and praise be to God. The graduating executive committee members had to juggle their time between remedial in the morning and activities in the afternoon. I applaud them for their effort and dedication. Kudos, too, to the next batch of executive committee who helped wherever they could.

Of course, there is room for improvement. Quite likely, it'll be a day camp again next March since the school will still be undergoing PRIME. They'll be training very intensively for SYF 2009. I have a feeling the pupils may have to turn up for at least 4 (out of the 5) days during the March break - which was what happened last year when we had to prepare for SYF 2007.

Anyway, I've been so exhausted the past 2 days that I didn't have time to pack for my trip to HK. In fact, I've just finished packing most of the items. Tomorrow morning, I have to drive out to buy some HK currency. And, if I have sufficient time, I may just pop by school to see how the kids are doing at camp. On second thoughts, maybe I shouldn't. I may just get hounded and I'll end up being late for my flight. Bah, I guess I'll just have to see how it goes. I may not even wake up early enough to finish up my chores.

I doubt I'll get to play very much in HK. I've already packed a couple of books to help me in setting the mid-year examination papers. I'm hoping to finish setting one paper, along with the answer scheme. I cannot imagine myself setting the two papers once Term 2 starts. Practices and rehearsals for Speech Day cum Aesthetics Night concert will be pretty intensive and I foresee myself getting too exhausted to set a good paper. On top of it all, there are EBS courses to attend, assignments to mark and lessons to plan. Freaking hectic. I'm supposed to start seeing my graduating 5A pupils invidividually too for their oral skills. The 'O' Level Oral Examination for EL starts in Term 3. They have only a few months to brush up on their oral skills. Sigh. I wish they would speak more English - standard English.

Okay, I'd better stop. I'm rambling. And that means I'm tired, typing away without focus. It's time to be in bed. Good night, world.

jOyZ blogged at 2:58 AM

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Saturday, March 08, 2008
Swooning Over My K-Eye Candies

Yes. I know I'm S-L-O-W. Haha. I only finished watching this K-drama 너 어느 별에서 왔니 or Which Star Are You From last night. It was on telecast a couple of years back, I think. Oh gosh, this can easily be one of my favourite dramas, along with Sweet 18, Coffee Prince and Goong. I couldn't stop myself from laughing aloud when the lead couple played by Kim Rae Won (*swoons* He's so cute!) and Jeong Ryu Won argued or quarrelled. My neighbours probably thought the laughing came from some mad woman who has come to visit a family in this block.

Of course there were teary moments in the show when the lead actress bawled her heart out - a VAST difference from the usual tear-but-still-look-pretty kind of sobbing we get from beautiful actresses. Jeong Ryu Won was really wailing like a child and, instead of feeling irritated (like how I usually do), my heart actually went out to her. I thought she was quite plain-looking at first, but somehow her looks grew on me and now I think she has a dazzling smile!

I'd noticed Kim Rae Won a couple of years back when the TV station aired this very same drama in Mandarin. (Back then I was still very nonchalent about the K-wave that had been going on for some years in Singapore.) Prior to this K-drama, I watched him on 내 사랑 팥쥐 or My Love Patzzi, a 2002 production starring him, Kim Jae Won and Jang Nara. Even though the character he played in this older drama was somewhat scruffier than the more recent one, I thought he had a lot of charisma in both dramas. I think I will swoon if I were to ever see him in real life! This is so NOT me! HAHAHAHAH!

After watching 4 episodes of K-drama every evening in 4 hours over the past 4 days consecutively, you'd think I've had enough of K-dramas. No way! HAH!

In fact, I'm contemplating driving down to school just to grab 러브스토리 인 하버 or Love Story In Harvard from Cheryl's table - considering that the March holiday has already commenced and I will probably be able to finish the entire serial by tomorrow. LOL. The idea is extremely tempting because of Kim Rae Won (yes, yes, he's one of the leads in the drama); but what a waste of petrol. Hahahah!

On second thoughts, I think I will watch Which Star Are You From again instead.

LOL! ;P

jOyZ blogged at 11:31 AM

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