New term, new journeys....

25 March 2006

Went Botanic Gardens with T today. Thought we were late for the tour of Evolution Garden (new!) but serendipitously chanced upon the group just embarking on this learning journey. Never expect to see prehistoric plants that dinosaurs consume copious amount of. They are so tough, the exterior being an armour to deter dinosaurs from extinguishing its life... We got to see how simple plant forms evolve into the flowering plants we have today and one new piece of knowledge I'd always remember is that water lilies are the first flowering plants! Such an apt choice for I've always thought of them as a balm for the eyes, very pretty yet quietly elegant.

We were also treated to an array of moss and liverwort (something new again! I'm surprised I remembered the spelling...) and ferns. Especially the silver fern which will leave a pretty, white imprint when you smack it against your hand.

Such is the beauty of nature that leaves you smiling at its physical beauty and marvelling at how things fall into place to play their roles in sustaining life on this planet we call home....

Next on the schedule ...rainforest tour.

PS. met wong lilin & allan wu there coaxing their daughter to kick the ball... a picture-perfect scene of family bliss.... where are the cameras for all those government campaigns?

27 Mar 2006

It's been a busy week since school days are here again. Thanks or no thanks to my busy hols, my Math exam papers are still in the works....another difficult delivery. Hope it will finally be born tonight, otherwise there will be another round of reminders and questions during contact time tomorrow. I've always preferred to set EL papers, not least because I have a ready supply of them ever since Nonis shared his pride at setting good compre papers, and JL's praise for that compre on diamonds last May.... It's becoming a holiday hobby to set compre papers, especially to challenge myself to set those that can give O level setters a run for their money. Maybe I should check out how to work for Cambridge Syndicate.

Holidays - time to STUDY!!!

Fresh out of NP camp, I'm going to devote three entire days to studying and learning. Yippeeeee!!!!

First on the block is the IT course on Monday on Microsoft Word features. I don't what I still can learn from or do with it... guess it will still throw out some nuggets of useful information. Come Tuesday, I will learn about creative writing though cartooning. Hopefully, I can apply it in my EL lessons. I am waiting with anticipation of a fruitful course on Wednesday, about empowerment of self and others through story-telling.

Of course, there's still my books, my National Geographic magazines (my favourite!) and my Reader Digest's informative series on animals with such captivating pictures that no one can ignore. I think I should subscribe to Newsweek too with the special offer around. I'm going to roam the world to reach the ends of the earth, live the diverse lives of humankind and traverse hitherto uncharted territories, gaining insight to everything currently foreign and unattainable to me, through reading....and grow in wisdom by leaps and bounds...

'The failure to read good books both enfeebles the vision and strengthens our most fatal tendency--the belief that the here and now is all there is.'
~ Allan Bloom

Start of Hols

Certainly not in the holiday mood yet... thanks to the NP camp. Everything got on like clockwork, thanks to the CIs - basically a self-motivated, self-functional unit that takes care of everything. I enjoy seeing them at campfires. Highly charged with an infectious zeal. The enthusiasm they exude while bellowing songs and cheers with gusto more than compensates for the often draggy performances cadets put up. My favourite is the 'Friendship Dance' where everyone gets off their butts for a rather old-fashioned dance. Reminiscent of childhood get-to-know-you kind of activity in kindergarten. Highly enjoyable though :0)

However, sometimes (or rather, oftentimes), I would get struck by spasms of bewilderment at what's my role here. It probably makes no difference if I just vanish from NP. No contribution. Thanks or no thanks to my HP (see previous blog entry), I even miss the fire drill. I haven't confess to OC yet. Guess the kids should be thankful they don't have to tear themselves away from their already uneasy slumber.

Mrs Shariff spoke to me about a possibility....I like, I love! (as T would put it) It was, and still is, my first choice anyway. That tete-a-tete (can anyone advise how to put those little hats on alphabets?) infused me with so much enthusiasm at the infinite possibilities and sense of empowerment I wanted to let out whoops of delight....but I can't tell anyone, and least of all, those who are reading this! lol

Reply to my HP

Dear Handphone

I was very apologetic about what you have complained about, till today. I really find you inferior to my dear Nokia and rather regretful about acquiring you. I do not understand why your alarm would not work if the phone is on silent mode. If I set an alarm after making you mute, wouldn't that mean it should override my earlier decision? Why can't you make a distinction between choosing to be awakened by choice and being disturbed by others through unsolicited calls/smses?

A pity I still have 2 years with you....

Yours regretfully
Owner

A day in the life of a handphone

(this column has been usurped temporarily by my long-suffering handphone,
Samsung SGH X620C)

Dear Owner

I think it's high time I highlight to you the injurious ways you have been treating me and at the same time release my stress by venting my grouses at the maltreatment. It has been only three months since I started serving you but yet.....

On Sunday, 5 March 2006 at SZG, you unceremoniously dropped me onto the floor in, of all places, the toilet at Children's World. Being the most unhygienic subspecies of the homo sapiens, children has yet to achieve civilised standards in the business of toilet use. Hence, the washroom there is of course the worst and the only blight in the annals of the (toilet-)award-winning zoo. Fortunately, I was spared the fate of drowning in the water (I hate to think of the urine) when I missed the abyss by a hair's breadth (actually around 5 inches; nevermind, the statistics are not that important here).

Imagine what would have happen if, God forbid, I had fallen into the sewage pipes. My body would be have been mutilated/damaged/dismembered/mangled/shattered/whatever synonyms for total destruction by the merciless system. That would be Doomsday for me, a fine specimen of a handphone, provider of innumerable pleasures of smsing friends to drive away the boredom and your connection to help (remember your sojourn to MacRitchie?)

On Monday, 6 March 2006, you again sent me crashing onto the floor in well, you-know-where...

Deja vu. The SZG incident should have alerted you to the possibility of destruction caused by negligence and yet, history has repeated itself once again.

Don't you know that being hurled around is extremely life-threatening to a handphone? No doubt we looked fortified with our armour of metal, but that is the casing of a million sensitive and fragile parts....I know I cannot compare to your previous mobile from Nokia but all the more you should handle me with care.

If there ever is a tribunal for handphones to seek redress for ill-treatment, I am sure you will be a Class A criminal and the jury (comprising of illustrious handphones from each brand) will return a verdict of 'Guilty!'

Please don't give me any more excuses. Why should the gravity always be stronger wherever you are? I hope there's a cure for butter-fingers...

In the meantime, I shall persevere.

I will survive.

Yours truly (battered)
Six Two O

One in

A day of mixed fortunes. "Achieved" my second oversleeping of the year. What's with me this year? Reputation for punctuality going down the drain. I missed the assessment for SZG facilitator course, hehe, not that I mind. I'm sure my knowledge and presentation would be among the best, having accumulated these skills from the rigourous training. Met the whole lot of them while I was doing duty and had to sheepishly concede I'm a dropout. Anyway, I had more important things to achieve, like showing Kamar around to impress and hopefully rope him into the docent family to help spread the conservation message. There is no better way to solve problems than through education.

Every ill in the world can be redressed by educating the young and helping them know there're educated choices in life. There's absolutely no need to adhere to traditions or practices that do not help the world, the environment, and us homo sapiens to hold on to life longer on earth...

Anyway, it's nice to talk to people who share your vision. I think it's 99.99% confirmed that he will join us, having had a feel of RR, African Adventure, ID, FF and TT stations. Unfortunately, I think it'll not be RR. Maybe the king cobra commentary would have impressed him, but both KCs were moulting and therefore not in the mood for food. Such perfect timing!

Nevermind, look forward to more docents, whatever the station. The more the merrier!

Away from the madding crowd

4 March (Sat)

Walk, walk and walk.... miles and miles of it... To be more exact, it's a total of 7.5 km, thanks to the signs appearing at regular intervals. Not exactly a taxing one as MacRitchie offers a haven (almost, save for the planes buzzing away in the sky, disturbing the peace and quiet) for weary workers caught in the cogwork of industry and commerce in the weekdays. Surrounded by nothing but trees (National Geographic-looking ones and Chempadak too, with velcro leaves), one cannot help but relax in the tranquil nature brings.

The surprising thing was how T and I ended up in Rifle Range link at BKE. Luckily, there was a cab ferrying someone to ST Logistics, secretly churning weapons in a hidden corner near the live firing range and we gratefully hopped onto it. Could have been stranded, having exhausted our helpline with C by crying wolf and faking a loss-in-the-jungle scenario. Unexpectedly, she actually tried to check out where we are and how to help us! One cannot get lost in the concrete jungle that is Singapore, with all the four bars on my handphone screen proudly advertising the prowess of my mobile service operator and telling there's no where you can hide.

Of course, to reward ourselves for sweating off tons of calories, we (over-) compensated with food at Cheong Chin Nam Road. Just mention the shophouses with lots of eateries and any
cabby worth his salt will bring you there.

Looking forward to the next nature walk....Kent Ridge? Labrador?

Courses.... slacking time

My initial reluctance to go for the OC course has dissolved as quickly as meat in acid....haha, what a great way (legitimate too!) to get away from school! This is the time I feel happiest about being 'arrowed', or in more civilised terms, nominated.

Reasons for this state of bliss are aplenty:

1) no need to deal with students:
- chase, run and 'hop' ( as in being hopping mad) after submission of homework
- emancipation from the tedium of dealing with childish exhortations of thirteen year-olds to
investigate and punish their peers who take their pencil box, eraser ('rubber'), spectacles, and
everything under the sun.
- release from the 4 walls of the classroom, usually as pallid as ghost, uninteresting,
uninspiring and devoid of any eye-candy that will keep anyone awake
- not having to dodge from supervisor, worrying when she will ask me about the record file
(in process,.... just a few more entries....coming soon...)

2) FOOD!! The teriyaki chicken is simply sublime!!! (yes, it deserves the 3 asterisks) Succulent
and so tender....succumbing to the inroads of the knife easily and delivering a fresh and
fragrant experience to the mouth....food....glorious food!

Of course, there's the snacks in between lessons... spring rolls, cakes,....aaawww....

3) a feeling that time is in abundance..... something that you will never feel during term time....

yes.... March holidays...... come, come, come quickly.......