Novo

Summation

2009-04-20T18:02:00.004+08:00

Hmmm. It's been 3 months since I last blogged.

It has not felt that long.

I wonder who's in my audience though. Prolly some choir peeps, some kaypohs from my form class, english class, and everybody else who hates me. Ha.

I thought I would say something for the record about the SYF GwH, but I've already said what I needed to say to those who needed to hear what I had to say.

But I must say I still feel very light-hearted whenever I think about the achievements of the choir, and when I say acheivement, I do not just mean the GwH.

Hence, I must say for the record, that I'm once again, entirely bowled over by the dedication and passion of the choir seniors and commitee, and to those individuals who put in their 100% and more.

Once again. You guys absolutely deserved the applause.

Go go go.

2009-01-23T08:15:00.001+08:00

Go HERE

English is...

2009-01-22T08:21:00.004+08:00

Part 1.

English IS LIFE. Without language, there is no meaning. Without meaning, there is no life.

English touches the soul of man. When used effectively, it stirs our emotions, it brings us to anger, to tears, to acts of heroism, to placed unvisited. It brings sight to the blind, and allows the deaf to hear.

What will I do without English.

Part 2.

My English class rocks. 2H is total pwnage. Who wouldn't like teaching a class that is exuberant and fun? I get great help from people in 2H - before lessons begin my laptop is always nicely set up by the AV crew, my English Representative is resonpsible and diligent, and the Class Representatives are enthusiastic and dedicated.

I think it'll be a good year.

So... what is ENGLISH to you?

"English is..."

Where are thou? My Holidays...

2009-01-05T11:09:00.006+08:00

So.

The Hols have come and gone. And with it 2008 and being in the twenties, and ahem.. singlehood.

Sharon and I had a really good time in the US. Eating, shopping, sight-seeing, playing family games with Bern and Melissa, seeing Troy and Oli again, missing a flight, shivering, sledging, skiing, chopping a Christmas tree, sleeping and eating.

Yes eating.

And I was for the first time exposed to certain interesting practices such as:

Being really clumsy sledging

Making Snow Angels

It looks cool but it's DAMN cold

American Obesity is not a product of over-production but entirely because of size of servings.

But I will really miss my brother and sister-in-law. It is really not the same not being in the same country. I guess some things run deeper than we imagine.

Farewell

2008-11-18T10:33:00.003+08:00

I thought the farewell party was a good one. Think the seniors enjoyed themselves and the games were ehhh... quite fun. Of course there could have been more time for saying goodbye and stuff but I guess emo stuff should be left privately.

I think I will miss the choir seniors dearly. Mainly because I've seen them through secondary one to four. And for some very strange reason, I have taught some of them every year. Thank you Elissa, Jem, Van and Pam for the cards. They were really touching. I will try to find a better opportunity to say goodbye properly.

I think farewells are dfficult to encapsulate because of the varied, complex, and at times contradictory emotions it generates. Such as being glad that people have 'come of age' and moving on to greater opportunities, and yet being sad that there is a parting.

I guess the words of Tolkien best captures this contradiction. For "their hearts, wounded with sweet words, over-flowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness."

And to the Sec three especially Cornelius: Well done! A lot of independence and self-reliance doing up this party.

Note: Blogspot re-sizes the photos so you faces look wonderfully pixelated. Will pass the originals to Shijia.

Wow! It's been months!

2008-09-11T08:41:00.002+08:00

Vanessa is VERY naggy.

Well it's been a really long time since I've been here - I must say it's nice to know people still tag here and there though. And no... don't expect any 'shoutbacks' because that would be a conversation and I would rather be really speaking to you instead (or at least over msn).

Okay first things first - teacher's day/my birthday.

Was really surprised by some of the celebrations and gifts! I know I don't show it during the event itself but I was surprised by most of them.

Thank you 3L for the notes in the jar - I know it's your way of making me as blind as someone - but I really appreciate the notes and all! Plus the cake of course!

Choir seniors - cake cake cake and blue soft drink! Thank you SO MUCH! How did you guys know I was running out of eau de toilet? I hope you didn't spend too much on it. There is actually a rule in MOE that we have to declare to the Minister himself if we receive gifts above a certain value. But I guess this was just a blue coloured soft drink right?

Choir senior seniors - MORE cake! Thank you so much Melissa, Samantha, Yee Kei, Johannes, Chermaine, Deb (did i miss anyone?) for rushing down! Appreciate the little visit.

4A - I seriously LOVE the lump of crap you gave me. It is a very nice and soft piece of turd. I will hold it to sleep everynight hence forth. hahahaha...

4J & H - Thanks for EVEN MORE CAKE! It was kinda weird both of you were doing the same thing in the same place at the same time. Maybe you should just be a single class of 80. Good hunting for the Os!

There were also little gifts here and there - thank you and i'm sorry if I couldn't thank YOU enough on that day!

Okay now that I'm done patting myself on the back about how well received and celebrated I am as a teacher, I have to go back to setting YOUR exam papers. I will make sure they are tough and difficult.

MUAH HA HA HA HA HA HA!

There and Back Again

2008-06-10T14:46:00.003+08:00

Okay. We're Back.

It's been quite a roller-coaster ride of expectations, emotions, and experiences.
The sights, the sounds, the sun, the cold, the closed-door huddled chats with Farah and Terrence. The angst, the hidden fears, the dashed ambitions, the shared disappointments, the elation, the joy, the affirmations.

In a sense this trip is a microcosm of the teaching profession - the parallels are astounding.
How do we draw the balance between education and achievement? How do we stay true to what we do without the schemes and the guiles.

Where are all the real musicians?

And on top of all this in my little mind, was this continual call to be a parent to some kids and to be a close friend to others.

No.

I didn't want to too close to the sec 4s either because I know I will miss them too much. I'm sorry Vanessa. But you have to do this once in 16 years, I experience this every year when you people graduate.

So I build some barriers, and keep some emotional sanity.

This was YOUR competition, YOUR gwh, YOUR Gold99, your friends to keep. Your bridges to continually build. For me it will be a memory, only interjected by visiting seniors and their warm, changing, smiles.

Well the rambling ought to stop here. Some pictures I suppose.

Sale Sale Sale!

2008-05-21T18:55:00.002+08:00

I sell clothes for ALL FASHIONABLE LADIES!

(Yes it's a night-job I have)

Come to the stall at the LIME Flea Market on this sat, 24th May, from 1-7pm, located at *scape (behind cineleisure). I'll be selling fashionable clothings, accessories, etc. Do swing by if you are free. Come support me!

(no actually it's my gf's cousin's shop)

Those crazy 2 women actually have an online biz. Do visit: http://voodooragdoll.livejournal.com/

If a car could be a Maeras - it would be this

2008-03-04T22:23:00.008+08:00

"that is one of the Maeras, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell" - Legolas in the Twin Towers.

"Wow"

"Wow"

"Wow"

-Benjamin Tan on the PIE at 630pm, 4/3/2008.

Hello 2008?

2008-02-19T22:24:00.002+08:00

Okay it's been a while.

I really do not know of any teacher who has had the time to blog in the last 2 months. It's been THAT mad.

Except of course, Ongster, who's had the good fortune of being relatively unoccupied. Which isn't a surprise given the fact that Frisbee Tossing at Sentosa is a vital component of SOTA's cirriculum.

Despite the supposed fluff it's dawned upon me that there are schools (such as SOTA), that are really seriously about having a top-value educational program - channeling real resources to bring in the real experts in the field to educate our kids.

Makes me wonder what I'm doing... I know my lessons can be so much better and varied and challenging and interesting, if only I had the time and was allowed to focus on what I came here to do:

Teach.

Bah! But at least 3L is quite fun. Really surprises me - a triple science scholar class that's actually fun from the beginning. Just hope they don't have too much fun.

"You are top 12% of the cohort!"

No. We are top 0.084%.

Inanely Stupid Christmas Advertisements

2007-12-06T21:17:00.000+08:00

Take a good look at this.

An apparently harmless and 'christmasy' advert from your favourite semi-budget executive apparel boutique.

But my goodness: "Being good isn't as important as LOOKING GOOD.

yes yes. that's how the world should be right? just LOOK GOOD. don't bother about the fundamentals. think enron, myanmar military regime, think anglican high. no wonder my kids struggle with basic stuff like 'should i pick up my own litter, it LOOKS unglam.'

I mean, it's not even about being naughty! There's nothing cheerful nor tongue in cheek about this.

This exudes such a offal amount of superficiality, i choked when i first saw it.

And please WingTai (owners of G2000), wake up your idea. Who on earth wears a furry hood in Singapore?

My Adidas has been Stolen

2007-10-28T23:07:00.000+08:00

Goodbye dear Adidas.

I will miss You.

I will miss Your gentle squeaks.

The comfort You provided my sometimes aching feet.

Your three white stripes.

The fact that You were brilliantly new and refreshing.

May You fail Your new owner's foot.

May He (She) slip and fall.

And Curse the day He proferred You off my shoe rack.

May He have foot sores and Hongkong feet from wearing You.

And may He lose $84 worth of something from a thief just like Him.

Adieu dear Adidas.

The Yogurt Question Solved.

2007-10-17T21:22:00.000+08:00

I have such naggy students. Grrr.

Yes Xinyi(s), your cookies were nice. I only had a slight tummy ache after so all's well. Hahaha... But I now realise why so many teachers have health problems. Hahahaaha...

Talking about food. I like yogurt. Nice healthy dessert, especially the Marigold ones because they add inulin. Which is basially dietary fibre. For years I have bought the 'Non-Fat' ones, not because i'm some health freak like my brothers, but because... Because.

These are the Non-Fat ones.

I always found it really weird that Marigold would bother to produce a "Low-Fat" variety when they already have a Non-Fat one. The Low variety has a grand total of 1 gram of fat per serving. The Non variety, has well, 0 grams of fat. It's like studying for exams and aiming to get 74. That kinda thing.

Here're the Low-Fat ones.

I was happily doing some minor grocery getting last month, and of course i picked up my compulsory pack of yogurt. To my utmost horror, I bought the wrong one.

The Low Fat ones.

I was like OHH MY GOODNESS! The extra 1 gram of fat!!!!! (yeah right).

I didn't care and said what the heck (i'm not Obessive Compulsive like certain individuals I know). Gulped it down anyway.

Believe me, the 1 gram of fat is WORTH EVERY SINGLE bit of extra calorie, because it tasted HEAVENLY. Just a single gram of fat. But way way way way different.

LOW FAT LOW FAT LOW FAT LOW FAT!

I am FINED

2007-09-19T09:39:00.000+08:00

I just received a really weird notification from National Library Board - I apparently owe them a whooping grand total of

$2.25

from overdue fines from books that were borrowed and returned late in

2003.

2003! Where was I in 2003?

Ahhh! The book titles... what great nostalgia.

Introduction to Nietzsche.

Madness and Civilisation.

Backpacker's guide to Bangkok.

I miss the relative freedom.

Birthday Musings

2007-08-30T21:29:00.000+08:00

Want to say a big Thank You to everyone who remembered my birthday.

I'm not really a big birthday person - always preferred the quiet corner when it comes to festive occasions. But still, tuesday was special to me.

Thanks for all the smses, my phone kept going off especially in the morning. Had some problems driving to school with the incessant buzzing in pants. Hah... Jiemin, Cynthiako (thanks for waking me up at 1230am!!!),

Chermaine Loo, Cheryl, Daughter, Marcus, Yee Kei, Pam, Aloysius, Chun Leck, Shawn the scout, Kewei, Ben, Jeremy, Johannes,

Deb, Chee Wee, Bern, Kelvin Loo, Weiyang, Jiehui, Frederick (gasp!)

and last but definitely not least Zhenhong.

I think it's some sort of a record. Not counting but seriously thanks.

I really appreciate the massive amounts of cake i received from the Choir Seniors, 06/07 Comm, 3G, and the GREAT people from Humanities Dept.

And thank you 4K for throwing me up in the air to the tune of happy birthday, and NOT pillaring or ponding me instead. Really appreciate that! hahahaha...

Yay. I'm 28.

One year closer to retirement!

The Impossible Quiz

2007-08-24T21:01:00.000+08:00

Try this at your own risk.

If you've an examination coming soon and need to keep your sanity. DO NOT ATTEMPT.

The Impossible Quiz

1. Love at First Sight

2007-08-14T10:24:00.000+08:00

My heart pounding through my shirt, my hands clammy. Beads of nervous perspiration drizzling down my forehead. My knees would have would buckled if not for that fact I was seated down. This was the closest I had ever been to her.

Oh! She was my everything. She was the air that I breathed, she was everywhere I went, she was always on my mind, she was all I knew. She was all the love ballads in glorious living form, the never ending crescendo, the never ceasing melody. She was the reason music was created.

I was barely inches away from her now. Sheer determination seemed to be pushing my chair closer towards her. I inhaled and I went dizzy just knowing that she was just there. My mind went into a flurry of things unsaid, of things I wanted to say, of words unspoken. I had to tell her the truth. I had to tell her what I felt about her.

I was five.

Gaming gaming gaming

2007-08-10T14:36:00.000+08:00

Context: School has come to agreement with Parents Support Group to ban ALL use of computers (at home and in school) for any gaming purpose. A new software called HateFun recognises gaming software in any computer and deletes them once activated. HateFun is parent password protected. And encrypted.

Good Morning Principal and fellow Teachers,

I am sure you are well aware of the recent spate of reports on various cases of 'gaming addiction' amongst our students (TScore >245). I have heard, from various teachers, the myraid of opinions on this issue, and it is with utmost trepidation that I share mine with you. This trepidation comes from the fact that I was an addicted gamer myself with I was a teenager.

Yes. Even teachers are human. Can we dare say that we teachers have, in the past (or even at present), never ever frolicked in the pastures of frivolous activities? Whiled away the precious time of our youth with adolescent pursuits? Or invested our energies in tasks of lesser nobility?

What more our students (TScore >245).

I believe that the majority of our students (TScore >245) are NOT computer addicts. They are, like we were, struggling between the pressures of the perceived mundanity of school work and the siren call of the visually stunning Halo 3. This perception of work being dull is the very issue that we, as teachers, must address.

I am not suggesting that we make school work all fun and games. Neither am I saying that examination content be brushed aside for superficial but engaging lessons. What I would like to suggest is - to make our lessons relevant. Gaming is relevant to our students' lives because it is the antithesis of boring and dull WORK. If work ceases to be so, then the impetuous for gaming may actually cease.

No. This is not to say that I condone the actions of students such as YongQiarng of 3D, who spends 8 hours a day in front of the computer, and as a result is a complete detriment to the school and his class. Computer gaming addiction in its extreme can be severely damaging. It is my firm believe that the recent drastic measures that curtails all gaming for our students is an overeaction. I think it will be much more prudent for us to manage the few true addicts we have through counselling and guidance.

Thank you.

Childhood

2007-07-25T18:43:00.000+08:00

Now that I listen to the Gummi Bear theme song I must say this guy has an amazingly high voice! And he even transposes up a semitone! And I must say the transposition point is very neat. Nice!

Yeah this was one of my favourites. Bouncing here and there and everywhere. High adventure that's beyond compare.

And no. I wasn't much of a transformer kid. I prefered mask crusaders. They were all really kiddy cartoons. Very unlike semi-adult stuff like spongebob. Spongebob is actually VERY adult! All the references and puns are pretty mature.

Not sure what's up with kids nowadays. Heard of a 18 month old who's addicted to Nintendo Wii. 18 months??? was i even talking then?

Well. Hooray for my normal childhood!

Reminiscing Choir - GWH

2007-07-16T18:05:00.000+08:00

It's been 3 months since the choir got the vaunted Gold with Honours for SYF.

We were lucky.

Lucky to have a great bunch of seniors who were focused on their objectives. Lucky to have members who were passionate about what they do. Lucky because of their sacrifices. Of time. Sweat. Of tears.

Many people (colleagues, principals, alumni from my time) congratulated me for the 'good results', attributing the fact that my 'expertise' and past experience as a chorister must have somehow rubbed off onto the choir.

I'm not so sure I can take an ounce of credit since I didn't sing nor conduct. In fact, to me, it wasn't so much about the members' actual singing, but it was the sheer tenacity and courage each person brought on the stage. We were for the last decade an underdog choir, a 'has been' kind of choir. Even 5 months before the SYF we were deemed as miles away from the real top dogs, the first leaguers - Cat. High, VS, TKSS, FMSS. We were patted on the back with nice words such as 'you're improving', 'good progress' 'your choir is stabilising'. We were always a 2nd division choir because we are a 'cheena' school. How many SAP schools even get a Gold for Choir?

I'm sure most choir members did not realise this huge societal background that works against most chinese school choirs (think about it Dunman, Cheung Cheng, Chinese High, all have 'poor' choirs), and that the 'english' schools have for the last 30 years dominated the choir landscape. Even during the SYF competition day itself some SYC members were scoffing AH Choir when they walked down the tiers. They whipped out their tuning forks to 'check' on the key and whispered to each other how flat we became. SYC is the most snobbish english choir that exists. No surprise I quit 7 years ago huh.

I kept this very much to myself because it is not the duty of the young to fret over this generational stupidity that started during my time. But man, I was never so deliriously estatic in my adult life when the results were annouced. I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but I leapt up to my feet, and I was actually running around, and that I ran to mr toh and whacked him so hard on the shoulder, that the guy sitting on his left was frantically asking me to relax.

Choir No. 44. We showed them good. We showed ourselves good.

The Brit boys

2007-07-06T21:44:00.000+08:00

Okay this post is FOR the raving lunatics called 3G girls who have been bugging me for the photos.

Ohhh! Faints! The golden hair.

Armpits

Only 1 Armpit

I guess they've been really nice chaps. Can't imagine the extreme boredom that gordon had to go through sitting in a class of pubescent kids when he's already 18! It's like you going back to primary school and doing close passages.

I think they did pick up some stuff from the class - like the armpit rubbish that the 3 musketeers are always up to, and that ming swee has some fetish for hairy balls. But besides the splendid entertainment, I think alot of credit goes to the girls (esp. yantze and cihui) who made those fantastic cards and photos for them. I was seriously impressed! So were they! They just told me exactly that before they left for the night safari.

You cannot even imagine the amount of work some teachers have put in to have the 17 of them here in ahs. Kudos to you peeps.

Rants

2007-07-02T01:26:00.000+08:00

What can $45 buy you?

1. A very good international buffet dinner at Carousel.

2. A nice Addidas dri-fit shirt

3. 10 large packs of yummy Kettle chips.

4. 4 episodes of hilarious Sam and Max

5. 1 tank of ron95 petrol.

6. 2 months of (my) phone bill.

7. TO HAVE YOUR DENTIST TELL YOU THAT YOUR WISDOM TOOTH (suddenly) CANNOT BE EXTRACTED.

Yes. $45 just to tell me that. No cleaning, nothing. $45 for putting a tube to my cheek and peering into my somewhat large mouth with his fancy metal toothpick and tiny vanity mirror.

What's worse, he was originally the one who insisted that it should be removed.

'Professionals' my bloody arse.

Melbourne Pt 1.

2007-06-21T22:21:00.000+08:00

Okay I've been back for 2 days now. (Hi Chermaine!)

HATE the weather here.

I had a great trip!

Other than a shooting in melbourne city, a burnt kitchen cabinet, a near accident with a wombat, being stopped by customs for smuggling, and me forgetting to bring any hair gel, it was an uneventful and peaceful trip!

I so love the food in melbourne!!! We had the most fantasticust, fabulousitiest, gobstoppering, salivataticus pasta in the world in this little Italian place on Philip Island. Imagine the most juicy, fresh and succulent prawns, a seafood tomato sauce to die for, thousands of mussels and scallops swimming in the sauce, and a really al dente pasta. SLUUUUURRRRP!

Australia is meat and seafood paradise. There was this market called the Victoria Market in which i just stood there and salivated at all that raw red meat. Thank goodness we weren't at an apartment in the city if not I would have bought the whole store.

Well... I have so much to say but for now.. i think pictures do so much more....

One of the steaks I had - this was actually the worst

We never needed lunch because of breakfasts like this - I'm salivating just thinking of the fresh cream and raspberry on that pancake

A fruit stall at Victoria - the best cherry tomatoes I had ever!

One of the 1000 cappucinos we had - this one was at a winery in the countryside

Australia's delicacy - Koala Poop

Bye Hot Weather! (for now)

2007-06-11T15:42:00.000+08:00

Okay I'm off to kangerland.

Hope to have a good, slow, and deliberate break. I will only be back just in time for the staff seminars and all those thingamagigs.

To the 0708 choir comm: I think you did fine for your first Meeting. Keep it up!

To 3G: Do your homework okay? (at least mine! hahahaha... )

To 4k: It's study time! Stop your midnight mass msn madness! Haha...

I am so gonna love the cold again!

Think Different

2007-06-08T20:49:00.000+08:00

This is the second best thing that has surfaced from youtube.

Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing that you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can
change the world, are the ones who do.

Will use this for class next sem.

My Music Part III

2007-05-29T22:18:00.000+08:00

Okay.

If you dislike Metal for religious/taste/appetite/eardrum reasons. Press pause on the player.

Here goes my rep. as a choir teacher. Hah.

I am a relative late-comer when it comes to metal. I think it's a sort of music that really takes time to grow on you, and that needs alot of maturity and mental sieving to be really appreciated. This song is NOT about war (although it's amazingly angry), but about the stupidity of war - I've never heard lyrics so apt for the post 911 world we live in today, and yet this was written in 1990! The key to good metal. Directness. Hard hitting. In your face. Honest.

I know he snarls... but well...

I think those of you that know my academic background will understand why i like Megadeth. Those of you from the same trajectory as me - well... enjoy.

Brother will kill brother
Spilling blood across the land
Killing for religion
Something I dont understand

Fools like me,who cross the sea
And come to foreign lands
Ask the sheep,for their beliefs
Do you kill on god's command?

A country thats divided
Surely will not stand
My past erased,no more disgrace
No foolish naive stand

The end is near,its crystal clear
Part of the master plan
Dont look now to israel
It might be your homelands

Holy wars

Upon my podium,as the
Know it all scholar
Down in my seat of judgement
Gavels bang,uphold the law
Up on my soapbox,a leader
Out to change the world
Down in my pulpit as the holler
Than-thou-could-be-messenger of god

Wage the war on organized crime
Sneak attacks,repel down the rocks
Behind the lines
Some people risk to employ me
Some people live to destroy me
Either way they die

They killed my wife,and my baby
With hopes to enslave me
First mistake...last mistake
Paid by the alliance,to slay all the giants
Next mistake...no more mistakes

Fill the cracks in,with judicial granite
Because I dont say it,dont mean I aint
Thinkin it
Next thing you know,theyll take my thoughts away
I know what I said,now I must scream of the overdose
And the lack of mercy killings

3G - Nice company

2007-05-22T21:06:00.000+08:00

Just stumbled back from the Johore Learning Journey thingee. Other than learning that kids nowadays are such whinners and that certain people are seriously good sleepers, I have realised that 3G is really nice company!

Spent most of the time on the road - started with getting a sermon/discussion about why manchester united is the best team in the universe from Chi Koong. She's the Senior Guru of Love ManU temple. She just went on for hours lar, but her knowledge of EPL is seriously astounding? After some furtive poking around at the organic farm which mostly grew dragon fruits, and hearing all that 'it's so hot, there are so many flies, the soil smells weird (DUH!)' moaning from my dearest form class, we had lunch in an aircon room. 'PHEW!'.

Our bluff game got disrupted because we were called to move to the oil palm place. Which I found seriously interesting? Of course everyone was fidgety with the billion flies that were buzzing around all their clean and scrubbed flesh. The trip home was talk talk talk time, and that's what we did. I think I did alot of talking but all the while I had this throbbing headache cos I was travelling backwards while talking to serene and grace and denise and yan tze and kelly and the guru. Then i realised like 9 out of 10 of the girls in 3G wear braces.

Is it some fashion statement?

A lot of laughter and exposing my dark secrets like the possible gulf of the salary between the P's and mine. Other things besides why slyvester is a terrific name for a hot guy. Why losers cannot be choosers. And why Rocky is not Pocky?

Between all that headache and talk. We took pictures and here's a few... (sorry for the pixelation.. too tired to do direct img src yada yada)

My Music Part II

2007-05-19T17:20:00.000+08:00

That voice you are hearing belongs to Lea Salonga. It is recorded 'live' and hence is without alteration. There's a little static buzz that signifies a crappo mic recording.

Yet.

She's the voice behind the stage. The relatively unseen singer. She is the one who did Mulan and Jasmine for disney. But her singing goes way back to the huge stage musicals Miss Saigon and Les Miserables. Even digging deeper, she was in fact a child prodigy who won some Filipino children's singing competition, and who was chorally trained by her father. Part of her training included singing underwater for hours in the bathtub.

Her voice is immaculately crisp and pure. You can actually hear the words she sings? 99% of them? That's intonation my friends. Her phrases are subtle but effective. She breathes at all the right spots. That's technique.

But going past her technical vocal finesse, she is just such a joy to listen to.

My music

2007-05-17T19:19:00.000+08:00

To read this properly, you will need to crank up your speakers.

Melissa got me thinking about the music i like.

'Like' is a terrible word for me... because I can never hover around 'liking' a song/group, but usually gravitate towards either total disdain or absolute obsession.

My first forays into 'music' as we know it, were typical - all those pop songs played on the radio. I soon started regressing and liking older (and really 'emo') groups like Jason Donovan (this guy is pennultimate 'emo') and Chicago, and also dabbled abit into softer rock like that of Richard Marx and later Oasis.

All this music were like infatuation music? Everytime the teenage ben had a crush on someone (i think only 3A has the details, hahaha...), i would really listen to particular songs over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.... and think of silly scenarios where i am some knight in shining armour saving this damsel from some modern distress (like a terrorist attack). and of course winning her heart. *vomit

NOW.

I only like music with a message. ANY kind of music with a message. Any message; the meaning of living, expressing love, expressing affection, expressing angst against the problem of violence, aganist discrimination, and aganist general ignorance and intolerance. Any genre will do for me: Choral, Heavy Metal, Pop (sure Backside Boys too!), National Anthems. etc. Why not? Music is for the soul. Any music is potentially good, and as long as it moves me strongly, I will start listening to it. And good music has a way of growing on you. I would probably be worse off now without music from Megadeth, Franc Poulenc, and Lea Salonga . These are genre-wise, heavy metal, neo-classical, and disney-pop respectively.

MUSIC FOR THE DAY: SAVAGE GARDEN (who are gay and whose lead singer is tone deaf) - AFFIRMATION

Listen to the lyrics. I seldom hear songs that are so 'in your face' about personal beliefs and convictions, some of which i can't help but totally agree with!

Tribute to 4K07

2007-05-12T14:08:00.000+08:00

Never gone from me

If there's one thing I believe

I will see you somewhere down this road again

This post is dedicated to 3K064K07. I know it's the midst of exams right now, and I know that this is just the beginning of the cooker called the O levels. I'll let the music and pictures do the talking. Here's to you...

If you're having problems with viewing the 'black patch', right click on the patch and press 'refresh'.

Well... it was trully a joy to teach all of you! What are the chances that someone from 3K94 would be the form teacher of 3K06, in the same school??? Although i couldn't see any of you up to your graduating year, you will always be my 1st anglican high form class!!!! I never had the chance to thank you for the massive powerpoint - but i still keep it on my desktop in my laptop!

5 more months to the inevitable. Good luck peeps! I have every confidence in each and every one of you. Do yourself proud - but come what may, remember you'll always be a part of each other....

With Trepidation

2007-05-05T12:36:00.000+08:00

There are times when the best words fail to encapsulate the gnawing feeling in my heart. In fact words are avoided altogether. They will reveal too much of myself to me.

'Expectations' is the darnest 4 syllable word in the english language. You gain an interest, work hard, do well in something. The next time around, you do the same. But after a few cycles of being passionate about what you do
and doing well, people around you start expecting you to produce that same result. You feel the weight of your success upon your shoulders. You lose that interest, but you continue ploughing through your task because it has become a sheer duty

It is a passion killer.

This takes many forms - studies, daily work, duties to the family, and in the closest of relationships. Remember the time you washed the dishes because you wanted to make your parents happy? It didn't seem a chore at all.

While this sense of duty is amazingly crucial to keep us on our toes. It is vital to step back once in a while, and remember that first spark, that first amazement, that first love.

STUDENTS' Council

2007-04-30T22:41:00.000+08:00

It's 10:42pm and I am supposed to be jogging.

Thanks Shawn for the 'motivation'. Hahaha. I guess I was skinny at 18. The operative word being was.

I feel like just going to bed. It was a long day filled with teaching (duh), a really *arrrgh* kind of meeting, and finally seeing a friend getting fined $200 for an 'offense' by the NEA.

Who are these NEA guys anyway? Nuts.

It's tough dealing with authorities (of all sorts) sometimes. Doesn't it seem they are simply out to catch you for any little reason whatsoever? When you were just being careless, ignorant, or forgetful.

But I forget.

Even as a student - I remember clearly there were times I flouted my authority, being big headed and all as SC President. Although I remember the good/fun times, I do remember a time when I shouted at my councillors for not being enthusiastic enough during a cheering session. In the past, cheering for the school teams was a BIG BIG BIG thing, especially during my tenure as P.

I didn't realise my councillors were actually tired after a *arrrgh* kinda meeting I held with them in attendance and a ton of tests and homework (what's new?). I guess I realised way too late. But at least the mistake was realised, and I gave them a real nice break and a pat on the shoulder. Should have saved my voice for the cheering instead.

This was me. Big head and all.

What I used to blog about

2007-04-29T00:37:00.000+08:00

I used to blog quite a hefty bit. I remember writing 'prolifically' when I was doing my honours thesis, and the blog served as a sort of appertif to actual writing.

Reviewing my blog archives recently, I realise I probably wrote better on my blog than my actual thesis, which was a marginal disaster anyway. I have my favourites... and here's one of them. This was written just before a road trip to Australia with my closest friends while we were still undergrads, hence the reference to poverty and killing kangeroos.

"I hope I don't endanger the kangeroos while I'm there.

And I hope I don't blow the backpacking budget there, if not I'll come back and probably resort to selling Kau Lak at my void deck.

Oh. I don't have a void deck.

Have you ever wondered WHY "VOID DECK"? A "deck" that is "void"? Duh. A Canadian friend of mine, when told to meet at the "void deck", thought we were going for a cruise on a ship.

Why can't it be just "Level 1", "Ground Floor", or "Empty Space"?

Void Deck.

Can you imagine the Kau Lak fella selling his Kau Lak in the "void deck", and that he has never known the meaning of both of those words?

"Hey I'm going to sell my roasted chestnuts in that arbitrary level of nothingness".

I guess when I come back I will be the first to know. My Kau Lak will be quite Zen. Roasted Nuts from that Plane of Nirvana."

Objectivity

2007-04-28T12:33:00.000+08:00

Why blog again? I'm not totally sure. Perhaps in part, a collection of my thoughts, and another, a way to communicate and converse for the sake of teaching english. On a deeper level, I guess blogging is a funny mix of self-expression and a performance for others to see. But very few (perhaps too few) things in life are not so.

I think this time, I will blog for myself alot more. Say the things I want to say without the bell threatening to ring at the wrong time in class. Without the press of syllabuses and exams. Without the expectation of achieving some objective in terms of exams and competitions.

So, yes, I will blog for myself.

I MUST say that the more I teach in AHS, the more I miss being a student.

The old days....

A New Beginning.

2007-04-28T09:54:00.000+08:00

Hah. I'm blogging again. It's been 3 years.

Question is - am I too old for this? and do I have the time?

Tut tut.