Mid year review...

On this last day of the semester, it's time to look back and consolidate how was this first half of the year like. Taking a quiet break at tampines 1, NYDC cafe now. The morning was sports day at tampines stadium, then rush off to MOE for something, and finally took a long ride on the MRT back to tampines. Today I think is considered the least stressful day after several weeks, if not months of chaotic flurry of work that have left me but a spent soul.

What have I achieved? Is it something worthwhile? Honestly I don't know. What I do know is that my cubicle has been reduced to become a disaster zone of sorts. normally I'd try to do periodic mini spring cleaning, but this time round, it had been impossible.

I'm wondering how are my former colleagues in my previous school. Hope they are well.

I think it's kinda sad when your kids ask, "papa, are you going to work again?", when you are only going out to throw rubbish one evening. Yup. This semester saw many of my weekends and nights burnt with my CCA and department related work. Anyway, time to go. Semester two will be better.... I think....

19 Apr 11

Blogging is a good way of introspection.
It (sometimes) forces you to think critically, reflectively about what is happening around you and so on.
Just seen the doc in the morning again today and he said something that has been said to me by many people (who cared).

"Take it easy, or you might just die."

As I do recognise that no one is invincible, and that we all naturally have to die one way or another, or even sooner or later. The fundamental question is HOW we die.

It might seem morbid of me to be talking about death, but hey! Its a good way to de-stress and seriously dwell on something that people always avoid altogether all the time. It helps one re-look and reset his/her priorities in Life.

Many many years ago, in my first few years of beginning teaching, I've worked like there is no tomorrow. Actually there WAS no tomorrow. 7 days a week, almost literally 24 hours a day, I'd be focusing on school work and was very much a (over)workhorse.

Then the wisdom of many near to me started to sink in, and I began to lighten up a little after a bout of depressive mood. And they all said, "Take it easy, dude.."

But now, its no longer that. The very possibility that I might just suddenly fall flat on my face while teaching or maybe never to wake up from my slumber is something that I'm truly starting to ponder.
Even a scarier possibility that stroke might occur and I become a vegetable and a liability to my family not to mention long term pain and suffering for my wife and kids.

"Take it easy, or you might just die."

So far I've heard 2 stories shared by my colleague and the kind doctor that I saw earlier. They shared to me about a personal friend/workmate of theirs, seemingly healthy, but obviously overworking just suddenly passed away, one in his sleep and the other while he was bathing.

"How do you want to die?"

I really don't mind getting all the eventual disease (hypertension, high cholesterol, etc) that one can easily get when one grow old, but to suddenly fall flat on my face or never to wake up is something that I am starting to fear intently.

So, now I need to finish this up and go take my compulsory enforced nap to sleep this flu away.
I do hope that I will wake up later......

*grins*

Photos

LARYNGITIS

By the 3rd day of sch, that "Lary" fella got the better of me and stealthily robbed me of my precious voice, and also gave me a new dimension to the meaning of frustration. First, it was 'denial' stage where I went to sch to see if my voice will miraculously come back or maybe my skills as an amateur mime artist will help me get by. But 'acceptance' stage came in swiftly and I had to go see a doctor to get meds and MC for this horrible ailment to strike teachers. Right now, the inflammation has somewhat reduced a bit, but from whisper mode, its now 'the horse is stuck there' mode. Throat is still pretty hoarse, though my whisper is slightly clearer now.

If you read the last comic above, I'm at this stage now. I've got no idea why, but apparently I've been sneezing my nose off this morning and the nose is starting to get runny.

An interesting observation, when you whisper to your colleagues, they somehow also whisper back at you. An automatic response I guess. When I tried to communicate to my boy, he is also whispering back at me. Sigh.... I need to get better soon.

Drive

A lovely song that gets you into the relaxed mood of things.

Well, that said, I've been going for driving lessons throughout this Dec break to practise in anticipation for my driving test mid next month. It was good that this Dec break was slightly better in terms of slightly less distractions from Scout CCA and school stuff, so I could fully pack a couple of days a week of solid lessons and training. Crossing my fingers and hope that I'll pass the driving test.

Then again, even with a driving license, price of cars (with the ridiculous COEs) is absolutely beyond the reach of us little man on the street. Will the price of cars ever go down? Haha... In Singapore, price of things can only go up and not down.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Are you happy? Are you truly happy this Christmas?
To all my Christian friends, have a Merry merry Christmas!

For the rest of us pseudo-Christmas fans, its a good day to just spend quality time with your loved ones, to cherish all the special moments with them.

Thinking deep, my above question begs to query you.
Are you truly truly happy?
Or is it just because people SMS you to say happy Christmas and a Happy New Year and you should be part of the bandwagon and do the same to forward the cute SMSs or Facebook messages to say Happy Christmas?

I'm no humbug, I love Christmas for all its lovely decorations at the malls, the cartoons and movies on TV, and just the big variety and availability of Christmas goodies like Christmas puddings, delectable Christmas Stollens, which I remember making it many many many years ago while I was in the local hotel training institution and attached to a hotel. It is still very much etched in my mind of the tall German baker whom taught me then (I've totally forgotten how to do it now) how to make an authentic Stollen, with the precise amount of raisins and mixed fruits, plus the rolling it out into perfect unique Stollen shapes which reminds me of military beret. Well, I've not tasted a Christmas Stollen for a very very very long time since then. Why? Don't know why, no time, no opportunity to find a good one I guess. So I think its a good time to see if I can lay my hands on one lovely freshly baked and showered generously with icing sugar Stollen.

Have a Happy Christmas everyone!
Are you truly happy?

Reflections reflections and more reflections...

It is the time of the year again and yes... its time to reflect on how was the year.
Was it kind to you? So so? Or perhaps downright 'shoving your face down the concrete pavement to give you a gnarly face' kind of year?

Well, perhaps I shall put it this way. Work-wise, I think I've gone through better days. A teacher's life is no doubt tough, but when they say that it can be 'impossible', it actually can be very true. In all, this year was (still is) a tough year with a bit of 'impossible-ness' here and there.

My kids are getting bigger and I'm thinking, "What might become of them when they grow up?".
And then I thought of that song "Que sera sera" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVuEC3r7a-o
The song reminded me that we'll never know how is their future, so no need to fret except to make sure we parents do our very best to bring up our kids to be good people. And when I say good, it means a lot of things.

Personal life-wise, I know that I definitely need to get into a regime of activeness and exercise. It is actually quite grotesque that I seem to be getting thinner, and yet my tummy is slowly looking like a deflated football. Sheesh! As it is... All talk and no action....

Music...

Got this CD from THAT CD SHOP awhile ago and I must say some of the song inside are quite catchy.
especially Magic Moments by Perry Como.....

Time

It has been a long long time since I last blogged.
Almost forgotten about it.
Want to write something. But just too fatigued to do much.
Brain in semi-auto pilot mode....

Cool website - See live octopus realtime!!

Click below for the website to see the octocam!
http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/visitor/octocam

High-resolution version

Tian Tian curry rice here I come.... I hope

Did PE duty for the O level MT exam last week Mon, 31 May and managed to grab lunch at the No Name Curry Rice stall at Beo Crescent. Ok lah... I personally prefer the pork chops to be more meaty & juicy... The curry was a bit on the spicy side which I didn't like. OOoo.... that reminds me of the Katsu don at Tonkitchi. Time to pay that place a visit soon I hope...

Are Singapore Teachers Overworked?

Been following this forum on teachers and I must say that we are in pretty much a sad and sorry state.
The forum started with the forum piece in the Straits Times sometime back in mid May about some spouse of a teacher complaining and lamenting the plight if her hubby (a teacher)
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_526768.html

When I mentioned that forum piece to my wife, she angrily retorted back at me and said, "That's exactly how I FEEL! I HATE your job!". Well, she wasn't really in a good mood at that time I think. But over the years in teaching, it is getting tougher and tougher. At the back of my head, I'm thinking, "Shouldn't it get easier as you get more experienced?" Well, there are a thousand and 1 reasons to explain this phenomenon, so...

click below for the forum to understand them all..... all 4600 plus posts of them now since it started on16 May 2010.
http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/05/16/are-singapore-teachers-overworked

My two kids

Sometime this year, managed to squeeze out some time during the March hols to bring the kids to Vivo city just for a simple family outing.

Quick update

No time, so super quick update of the past week.
1. Broke my glasses = money fly away.
2. Thermal or whatever fogging of the drains at the base of the block created a scene similar from Alfred Hitchcock's novel, "Birds", except that instead of birds, it was cockroaches!!! Big ones, huge ones, medium sized ones all over the place! On the floor, at the wall, just scurrying all over the place! HELP!!!
3. Son high fever, so very very concerned and worried. This time round is probably the worst one encountered. The high fever seemed very persistent and the medication didn't seem to be effective in suppressing the fever. Hope he gets out of the fever spell quickly and soon.

Cravings for good Hainanese Curry Rice

The last time I had a fairly good one was in Red Hill Close around Oct 09, when my colleagues and I went for some O level Presiding Examiners briefing at the Spring Singapore in Bt Merah.

Now I've been thinking of hoping to try out the ones that's mentioned in ieatishootipost.
Hopefully will be able to try at least the TIAN TIAN CURRY RICE at Bt Merah View
http://ieatishootipost.sg/2010/03/tian-tian-curry-rice-original-hainanese.html

and the NO NAME HAINANESE CURRY RICE at Beo Crescent, Henderson Rd.
http://ieatishootipost.sg/2008/10/no-name-hainanese-curry-rice-maximum.html

Happy song to get you smiling...

Sting - Love Is The Seventh Wave