world of nuts

photos for racial harmony

2009-07-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

yupp... the photos..

isaiah 42 : 8 - 16

2009-07-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

last night i had cell... we had qinglong amongst us which is a bless for the cell. spend the most bulk of time talking about church and our feelings towards our leaders. it was a very good discussion that ends around 2am. very tired today.

today was just browsing youtube on hillsongs, came across one of the worship leader reciting isaiah 42: 8 - 16. hearing the word of God be spoken through the worship leader really bought me to tears... gosh, trying so hard to hold back my tears with teachers around me. how long will church be in this state of brokenness... how long before we sound the horn of warfare... how long before we fight the good battle... how long before You speak to us?

spend some time msn-ing with jingyu, encouraged her and pray that my presence and involved in youth MM will help them to be the next way of generation to bring about a change in the church.

⁸ "I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.

⁹ See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."

¹⁰Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
you islands, and all who live in them.

¹¹ Let the desert and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.

¹² Let them give glory to the LORD
and proclaim his praise in the islands.

¹³ The LORD will march out like a mighty man,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.

¹⁴ "For a long time I have kept silent,
I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.

¹⁵ I will lay waste the mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up the pools.

¹⁶ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.

reflections on 15th july 2009

2009-07-16T00:47:00.000-07:00

yesterday was my birthday and that silly charlotte tricked my in believing that there was an exco interview on that faithful afternoon. i was so sad cos i am gg to miss my beloved afternoon nap and had to attend the interview session....

THEN WHEN I WENT INTO SC ROOM, MY HEART MELTED TO SEE MY BELOVED SCs there celebrating my birthday! hahaha... thanks a lot kids :)

i also got a few sms from students everywhere blessing me with birthday wishes and wishing that i would find my one soon - well, kids, this type of things cannot be hurried one. must open eyes big big to see, anyone can be a friend, but not anyone can be a girl friend or even my wife. no worries, when there is good news, i will post it on the blog.

i also wanna take this chance to thank 4J for giving me the lovely stitch paw and also the pinball machine. well, the pinball machine got to wait for a long time to play with my kid. as for the paw - now i got another cushion in my car... i hope i am forgiven for the wrong-doings i had done to the class....

as for 4F, thanks for the birthday song, although a certain person sing VERY softly right in front of me, it was a good one... hahaha... the recent 躲猫猫 game was fun, but need to tone down a bit.

dinner was good with boss ang, master tan, michelle, june n alex and boss chor howe. its been a long time since we eat together and be merry. only one that i missed is 二哥. come back fast leh...

the mickey mouse statue

2009-07-12T02:27:00.001-07:00

hi weilee,
here is a picture of wad's inside the box...

been a long time...

2009-07-12T02:12:00.000-07:00

its been a long time since i blogged... and frankly speaking, between there and now, it has been a wonderful ride with my Lord... hahaha... through 学生营, i have come to know Him even better... through attending city harvest church, i have come to be closer to Him... in summary, my spiritual life have been aligned back to God's will - and once the eyes of heaven are opened, i ask myself, how then can i help those who i interact to come to know Him?
by profession, i am a teacher, and therefore in a school that is not a mission school, i cannot and will not preach the word of God to my students, who i have such great burden. what then can i do but to passionately pray for them.
and then i got to read the following article by Rev Dr Kong Hee entitled 'reaching the next generation'.
the whole article can be summarized as:
1. 13/30 window - defines the age group of people between 13 to 30 yrs old which is the greatest harvest field in the world today.
2. God outreached to young people in the bible and they are powerful leaders in the past - Joseph got his dreams at 17, David destroyed Goliath at around 19, Samuel was a kid when God communed to him, Jeremiah, a young person, was sent to wake up Israel.
3. youth are open and flexible, they are impressible, idealistic and have the capacity for faith. and youth ARE the treasure.
4. how to reach young people?
- befriend the youth
- encourage them
- introduce them to serious, radical Christianity
- help them with real life problems
- show them a better way to live life.
hmm... that got me into thinking that all the time i spend with my students, and the youths in my church, i need to be reminded that they are God's treasure to me and to the whole world.
bless you who read this...

a bit late... but nevertheless...

2009-04-10T01:20:00.001-07:00

this is my feedback for the 1st senior high chinese drama performance at NLB or NLB (i dunno wad is it.. but its at the national library) - THUMBS UP!
act one was rather funny
act two is a classic
act three leaves us with a question
thank you students for all your hard work - you deserve a big applause.
the next and most important people to thank are the teachers - you all deserve a louder applause - for guiding the kids to such great heights... how i wish the whole school can watch the drama, perhaps during assembly slots, hahaha, one thing for sure - we dun need to invite those drama groups to come in to perform to our kids IF we can do so much better.

ok - some photos to share...

one week break

2009-03-23T02:48:00.000-07:00

this one week break was rather boring... cos other than the fact that i got cassandra and grace involved in the choir concert as the MC at vjc... there is nothing much actually....

oh ya... i was sick... and can you believe it... throughout the whole week... and now i am still stuck with a running nose and mild cough... grrr.... sian man! was actually planning to eat my heart out with durian... now it got to be postponed dunno until when...

same like the yrbook... many students have be asking where is it... no worries... its in the process... the whole book was delayed and will be out in term 2... so no worries.. the school is not that poor la... haiyo...

one thing to look forward to is the opening of the library.... yeah! got the green light to be in charge of the 'comic corner'.... got some good titles liao... anyone got any suggestions to any manga or western comic titles do let me know.. i will try to see if can get them... but there are some guidelines la...

1. i cant get any series which are still running.... eg: naruto, one piece, D-cray man.... etc etc
2. i cant get any books that have adult content... so books like lucifer, hellboy... etc etc

so let me know while u tag my blog... see how it goes...
or better still, maybe we can share our comics to expand the collection :)

'A' level results

2009-03-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

hmm....
'A' levels was just out on friday and DHS 1st batch of students have done the school proud! good good... i wasnt really teaching this batch when they were in jnr high, so frankly speaking, i cant really rejoice with them cos i only know a handful... however i would like to say something to those students that i know...

baojia, yunshan, berlinda, amelia, minhua - these are the 5 students that i know even when they were in yr 2...
baojia - i know u through the yr 1 orientation. u were the shortest amongst peiqi and lili and dunno who is the other SC... back then, we were having fun with the hula hoop in the hall... and i joined in... hahaha.. those were the days, anyway, u have grown so much in wisdom and maturity (not too much in height though... :) ) and u have made it! 8 distinctions! congrats!

yunshan, minhua, amelia, jiexin - 4 of u told me u dint do well, my words to you are: i am still proud of you... not because of that piece of paper, but because of who u have become. yup, at the instant, time stopped and you feel that you have not gotten the results that you always had wanted. there was this sense of disappointment, you cried. BUT, all i wan to say is this - throughout 6 yrs of education in DHS, i hope you will NOT only bring back your A level certificate, you will bring back memories, wisdom, moral uprightness, the way to treat people with respect, compassion, love, leadership, courage, honesty, integrity and many lessons that you cant find in the textbooks that you are gg be putting in the storeroom. if the only thing u wanna get from DHS is a piece of EXCELLENT result certificate, then i would have failed. i would have failed being a teacher... a jnr high SC teacher... i would have failed, through all my interaction with u all - not able to teach you about life...

shan - remember we did the first mooncake treasure hunt and went all over DHS to take photos of things that passes our eyes too fast, too tiny? may that be a lesson in our lives that we do not take things for granted, that we will, at times, stop and smell the tiny flowers at the roadside... it was good working with u.

hua - remember mr ang and myself sent u home one night after some event. you told us u lived in geylang and we were rather amused and surprised? may that be a lesson in our lives that who we are is not determined by where we stay, what we have but rather what is inside us.

amelia - remember last year i was very tired after some event and u offered me a drink? may that be a lesson in our lives to see what people cant see, to feel what people cant feel to step in and help others who are in need...

see, these are the things that cant be found in textbooks! so cry - not because you are disappointed, but rather you have finished a stage of your life, going to another....

berlinda - i dun have a chance to ask you how u fare for ur As... but i got a very nice note from you! a very pleasant surprise to me on a saturday morning when i go empty my tray in the office. its me who want to thank you for all the smiles that you given to my camera that i can captured your best moments in DHS. we are not that close to be friends, but i certainly know how much u have given to SC and to the school. with that, i want to thank you - for all the hardwork and effect you have put in. no worries, with me around, walnut production will continue... and i hope that i will cya around in school...

jiexin - know you through badminton, and since then somehow or rather, i keep on bumping into you and eventhough our interaction is to its bare minimum, you always greeted me as a teacher. remember, to stay cheerful and happy!

take care, my students who have now become my friends, Godspeed in whatever things you embrace on!

3 cheers to life.

swimming is a good sports... but

2009-03-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

yesterday i went swimming... its been a long time since i swim and then yesterday 'sui sui' got free time in the late afternoon and there is no dark clouds around, so decided to go kallang there to swim...
packed everything, got ready and headed to the swimming pool... at the bridge there, met 2 yr 1s... they were very excited to see me and told me the shocking news that they are having swimming lessons!
while i strongly believe that swimming is a good sports, it actually loosen my backbone which have been giving me quite some problem, but swimming with STUDENTS who know you is a totally different story....
believing that its really my personal time, i went head on to the complex... once i went in - i was greeted with a loud 'MR YEO!!!!!!!'... zomg - not that i am missing from school for so long.... then came a series of questions like: u know how to swim? which day u swim? how come u r here to swim? blah blah blah... being a nurturing teacher, i asked all their questions and excuse myself to the toilet to change...
then i did something that i never done before in the swimming pool, i actually weared my t shirt and wrapped my lower body with a towel and walked to the pool... and within seconds i jump into the pool and started swimming... heng heng those kids are in the intermediate pool while i swimmed and the olympic pool...
then after 1/2 hr i came out and rush to the toilet and bath.... fearing that i would have to bath with the boys...
phew - thou shall not swim on thur evening....

more photos

2009-03-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

oh well, here are some more photos taken during the investiture... enjoy! :) gg to blog soon liao... after the A level results which will be out this coming friday...

SC invest

2009-03-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

so fast! its another investiture... here are some photos that were taken...
cant really believe peeps like sarah, nicole, samuel and my beloved chia teck have grown so much and become leaders in their own fields... jia you for this year and do well!

4F photos

2009-02-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

ok... this is for 4F... ur photos taken at chinese new yr this year... anyway, janson - thanks for your concerns... i am okie.. but i guess at the back of my mind is always how to teach you all so that you will perform to your maximum potential. cos seriously, i dun think 4F is just an average class. i fall in love with the spirit that u all have when i first step into the class... but it would be a waste if the results of the class is not showing at the end of the yr.

i am not referring to my subject only - in fact i am talking abt the whole class. but through my subject i am fearful that you all are not doing well... could it be my explanation not able to make u understand? could it be that i am pressuring too much with many assignments and worksheets? could it be that i speak both languages when i teach? all these i have been reflecting constantly and every now and then.

these 2 days i have shared with u about the fact that there are certain number of peeps gg for SSS... that is something i hope that you all will treasure wad the school have for u... dun ever take it that we are punishing u for wad u have not done - but take it that we are giving you the environment to strive n work hard. you need to work hard - for your future.

jiayou 4F, if i have not given hope on you... you should not give up hope on urself - let's make this from a good class to a great class where we can celebrate our success at the end of the year.

IA

2009-02-16T05:50:00.001-08:00

SC photos

2009-02-16T04:38:00.000-08:00

ok.. the photos taken this morn... though not all there.. hmmmm... so enjoy urself with these photos...

to leadership, add friendship

2009-02-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

after weilee told me she is linking my blog to hers and she blogs practically about anything and everything... i think i better revive my blog... these past weeks have been quite a tiring but enriching journey - with my beloved yr 4SCs saying bye bye to homecoming to yr 1 orientation to getting 4F as my math class to getting my beloved, long-awaiting daredevil statue to planning for open house, sports day and youth day ( possibly dunmanian idol 09 is coming back) to waiting for logan movie to come out... - life has been very packed!
hahaha... now got to mentor 2 student leaders still - hopefully everything come tgt to work for the good of God. :)
ok... better put up the short story i am gg to share... always remember that friendship is the link to leadership, without peeps, there is no leader... so be a friend to all... be a listening ear to those who need a listening ear... :)

"Why do I recommend that you work to develop friendships on the job?
Friendship is the foundation of Influence: President Abraham Lincoln said, “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.” Good relationships make influence possible, and friendship is the most positive relationship you can develop on the job with your coworkers.
Friendship is the Framework for Success: I believe long-term success is unachievable without good people skills. Theodore Roosevelt said, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” Without it, most achievements are not possible, and even what we do achieve can feel hollow.
Friendship is the Shelter Against Sudden Storms: If you’re having a bad day, who can make you better? A friend. When you have to face your fears, who would you rather do it with? A friend. When you fall on your face, who can help pick you up? A friend. Aristotle was right when he said, “True friends are a sure refuge.”
- the 360 Leader"

new campus, new look

2008-12-12T08:35:00.001-08:00

hi,
this is for dear cassandra who is currently overseas... here are some pictures that i took the other day while i went to the new campus... enjoy!

random tots

2008-11-23T01:09:00.000-08:00

hmm.... if i dun do something to this blog... i think it will be dead liao... hahahaha
so here is some random tots...

today after church, wenbin, kevin, junkang and myself went to swensons for lunch. kevin was sharing about him being a charged christian these days... by praying to God to allow him to see Him, he is able to put his faith in Him to go through each day and challenge... it was an encouragement to me... for a nong noooooooong time, i have not been putting in effort in my prayers... perhaps its time in dec for me to start to do something abt it....

teachers' day photos...

2008-09-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

well, here are some photos taken... i tot the whole idea on dressing up was quite a bold step to attempt... surprise surprise some of the classes are VERY creative and well-dressed! maybe we can do it again next year? wad say u?

to my yr 4 SCs... (modelling after Miss Yeo)

2008-08-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

dear yr 4s,
not many of u know that i have a blog and not many of you will find the time to read blog.. .but at this moment, i just wanna pen down some of my thoughts about the lot of you all - regardless of exco or non-exco... so here we go....

if i am not wrong, how many years i am in DHS = how many years u have in DHS... hahaha i still remember the first day i stepped into DHS i got a news from someone, somewhere that i will be doing yr 1 in 2005. i was given form teachership for 1Jateka and went on to join the orientation 05. it was fun - i still remember doing the loop thing with my class with ah long shorter than me.

time flies indeed... after 4 yrs, ah long is longer than me.. well not many of u know who ah long is so i would just go to write a personal note to everyone of you, of cos in no order of preference.

xiayuan, you are the youngest amongst the whole lot of year 4s. i admire you coming forth to take up leadership role in the student body by being in council. you are always trying your best to learn from others and this learning spirit is something that is good example for other SCs to follow.

steffi, always the chubby gal with cheeks that i would love to pull. i tot that you would shed your chubby cheeks at the end of year four but then, i was wrong. the only change i see in you is you have increased in height - about 10%. your cheerfulness is always felt when i talk to you and i thank you for that. your laughter always lighten the hearts of those who hear it. stay cheerful and be happy.

elizabeth is always very careful when you talk to me - and i wonder why... hmm... well, i know that you are afraid that i will ask you to stay in SC till the end and was trying to avoid me eversince the start. well, i guess with peers' support, you did stay. must know how to handle stress next year hor... i wont be there to ka-jiao you liao.

puimun, firstly, thank you. for being always there to lift up the spirit of the whole SC with ur happy go lucky personality. you never fail to be the first to be 'high' for any SC events and camps. your 'xiao' 'xiao' attitude brings in life and color to the whole SC. but one thing you need to do is to keep a good image of, not SC, but the school. always remember - first impression does count.

seeting, i still remember you as the crybaby during the chiangmai trip. remember you fell and we have to take care of you during the trekking? hahaha, you still cry these days hor... you like your juniors a lot and they also like you a lot. thank you for being there for them. see ting, one thing you need to do is to be more open to see different points of views on things. always remember, we cannot change the cards we're dealt with, just how we play the hand.

liangwei, you are trim and proper guy in the SC. in fact, the MOST trim and proper guy in SC. your smile is always there to greet teachers and politeness is always there. thank you for being there and being an example for others to see and follow. one question that i have in mind - i would like to have a picture of you will messy hair style. hahaha.

amanda is always there to provide laughter and joy to the council. you always thrilled me with your comments and is always the one filled with emotions. i like your courage to let go and courage to hold on. i am one of these type who will let go of myself in terms of emotional aspects. one thing that i need to grow is the way you handle your emotions, i am still learning, so let's learn together and grow together.

felicia, you have grown in other aspects of leadership leading the string ensemble and molding the rest of the ensemble members. may you continue to fly high and be a leader in your own field.

jiayi, you have always been the responsible and accountable one... i see the passion in badminton in you and also u putting in ur very best in all your subjects, continue to do what you are best at and honor the work that you put in.

jinhui, dun really have the time to get to know you better through your days in SC... mainly because i dun get to interact with u as much as the rest of the members... but jiayou for the coming exams and all the best for the future. :)

szu yee, the killer look, 人在江湖之英雄本色, i think with ur look, you can go audition for the role... a killer who is ruthless and cool but falls in love with the gal that you are supposed to kill. i have seen your positive energy and influence to the younger ones eventhough you appears to be extremely cool and man of few words, thanks for guiding them to better grounds.

chenglei - the ninja. 神出鬼没. O levels jiayou..

hannah, you have grown to be a lady of gratitude. you always bring yourself a smile that will melt the heart of many, and that is something that you should be doing even when you reach adulthood - the world could need some nice smiles from people who are rich in love. but, you need to be more confident in yourself when you lead. so jiayou, as you move on to year five, be confident in yourself in the coming 2 yrs in snr high and subsequently in life.

jiahui, you have grown in areas of leadership. you know how to do, what to do, when to do. same as the rest of you all. you are very enthu in planning and even suggesting planning for the yr 3 orientation 09 next yr! hahaha... i am still right now toying the idea leh... u have grown stronger throughout the whole year. but, you need to be more open to other people's suggestions and also listen more with your heart. there are people there who can offer a different perspective to things.

jiayan still needs to be more lady-like though. :) i still remember u saying that u dunno if coming to the exco really suits you or not but you took the brave step to do it. understand that it can be frustrating and also tough for you at times in terms of organizing events but you did it so well in due time. for you - try to be more ladylike in yr 5 and 6, you have a very unique character which would draw people to you.

xingqi when i saw ur passport photo i see a chubby boy but now you have grown to be a handsome young man. i am proud that, in your own bravery, you took the initiative to gear start the week of music thingy for kaleidoscope. i know from others that there are a lot of obstacles to overcome and eventually the whole event was completed. i hope that you will learn, that in life, brick walls are there for a reason - they let us prove how badly we want things. Go for GOLD and you will get it! you got to believe in yourself! :)

yixiang, you are always the happy go lucky guy in the whole yr 4 level. your outburst of energy that you exhibited in the council is an important statement to the rest of the people. that there is more than just studying in the 6 years prog in DHS. one can still enjoy playing and enjoying in the 6 yrs' prog. juniors like you a lot and would follow you to the ends of the world. but do have more situational awareness - there are times where i was VERY worried about the things you do and the message that you are sending to the juniors. with great powers, comes great responsibilities.

weijie, if i say yixiang is the playing the role of a father of IA, then you must be playing the role of the mother. there isnt a time where i find that you are not thinking. you always think twice before you do things. i still remember telling dunno who that its good that we can always take pictures of SC outings and events and i will never fail to find photos being uploaded on SC blog. thanks a lot, for being consistent in your work and responsibilities. i hope someone will continue your good work.

rachel, you are another mother, somehow or rather, i always associate you with a caring and understanding mother in the future. (am i correct to say that?) i am always heartened to be greeted by you - either in person or over the phone with the starting statement 'good morn/afternoon/evening, Mr Yeo'. i always have respect for those who respect others, and you have gained my respect. keep up the good work!

yanlin, always a very soft and gentle lady who compliment rachel. you are always clear with what you are responsible for. you have been very gentle towards other people and able to get to the hearts of others in the quickest way. people naturally goes to you if they have any problems or things to share.

karmen, i still remembered that you cried during yr 2 SC camp at old campus because of some night walk thing. that is where i decided not to tell ghost story for that year (anyway the year ended rather fast, so i got to tell ghost story the following year...) you are nicknamed 'cow' not for no reason. one of the attributes of a cow is stable which i see in you. but other than that, i find that you are the one that is able to rara people with your loud and firm voice. good job - that is an important asset that was given to you. so continue to be loud but constructive. :)

chengqian, 于丹's fan. i enjoyed talking to you abt 儒家思想. in another context, i would invite you to come back and share about your views on it. remember you hesitated in coming to SC in yr 2 when i invited you in, but ultimately you came and lead the council. i am so proud of the few of you who are from my first and last form class in DHS. you are a thinker - so continue to think and dig for truth for not many people would go through that extra mile of learning.

siswo, i came to know you because of your sister who is one student that i am very proud of. in my years i have never doubt that any of my students will gain my pride as much as her, but you proved me wrong. i am proud of you being who you are - as a president and as a friend. you have indeed a good leader with the whole team performing well under you. thank you for being there when i am not there.

letting go

2008-08-14T00:58:00.000-07:00

hmm... to respond to what siswo had tagged...
yup, indeed, handover is both happy and sad...
happy because you finally come to a stage where u are closing a chapter of your life and passing the baton to another batch of people - be it your role, responsibility or your accountability.
but at the same time, this is also a stage where you feel sad, because u r closing a chapter of your life and passing the baton to another batch of people - be it your role, responsibility or your accountability.
but siswo, know this - that you have done your very best and you and the whole year fours - committee or non-committee, have brought the SC to greater heights and given an example for the rest to follow.
the beauty of letting go is that u see that the butterfly in your palm is able to fly and has the freedom to choose its path. even at times, the butterfly will get hurt because of the storms in life or discourage because of the path that its taking, but its all a learning process...
to end off, let me give you a quote:

"as human beings, we are not perfect,
and we are not supposed to be.
but that's not always an easy thing for us to realise.
the best we can do is to do the best we can,
give it our all, and always give thanks.
we don't make it alone in the world.
we're lucky that there are people placed in our path to guide us, protect us, and touch our lives so that we can get through it all... one day at a time. - Julia Escobar"

now, for some photos taken during national day run...

hm... i passed driving test

2008-07-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

well, on saturday morning i went for my driving test... so this is wad happened before that...

i went to reservist for 1 week before the test... already rather sian cos sat is the driving test and still kana reservist... luckily i got an understanding OC who gave me nights off to do my last minute revision... then on thursday, due to a large intake of durian, i fell sick - overheated... jialat... then kana flu too..

i was thinking - these are symptoms that perhaps i am not fated to pass my driving test at the first try.. then surprisingly - i passed...

hahahah... my tester was rather shocked to see the indifference in me when he told me i passed... i told him, good lor.. now i can go see a doctor liao.. hahaha... then went to see doc and get medicine... sleep like siao... till now, still dun have that excitment leh... anyway..

next target: boating license... hee hee hee

what difference do u make?

2008-07-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

The following is a beautiful story that i come across some time ago... for those teachers who visit my blog, let's continue to ask ourselves how much do we make... it's never about the money...

Recently, i saw my ex-student teaching in my school!! ZOMG! she has become a teacher. i guess it must be the influence of her father who is also a teacher but i do hope and pray that she will continue to grow and inspire the younger generation. it is getting tougher and tougher to educate the kids nowadays... they are much more informed, so much more lost and so much more demanding...

all the more they need someone to guide and lead... i pray that we, as teachers, will be opened to them and they, as students, will be opened to us too... so let's enjoy the story that follows and ask ourselves - how much do we make... :)

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education.

He argued: "What can a kid learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers, which is "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

To get affirmation, he said to another guest: "You're a teacher, Susan," he said. "Be honest. What do you make?"

Susan, who has a reputation of honesty and frankness, replied, "You want to know what I make?"

"I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like the Medal of Honor when the student has tried his hardest, and an A- feel like a slap in the face if the student did not do his best."

"I can make kids sit through 40 minutes of self study in absolute silence."

"I can make parents restless with anxiety when I call home."

"You want to know what I make?"

"I make kids wonder."

"I make them question."

"I make them criticize."

"I make them apologize and mean it."

"I make them write."

"I make them read, read, read."

"I make them spell "catastrophe & acknowledgement" over and over again, until they will never misspell either one of those words again."

"I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English."

"I elevate them to experience music and art and joy in the performance, so their lives are rich, full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their accomplishments."

"I make them understand that if you have the brains, then follow your heart...and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you pay them no attention.

"You want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do you make?"

the blog lives!

2008-06-27T02:40:00.000-07:00

yup yup...
i have been told that my blog is dead... well, its just that after MLS course, everything in school just come rushing to me like a real tsunami and that i dun really have time to sit down and type... hahaha... then i dun wanna give up my new habit of reading a book a month and so with all these work coming in, therefore no time to blog lor... so to begin with...

SC trip to Kuala Lipis:

it was a wonderful trip, esp with the near whole SC going for the camp. well, was rather disappointed with a few of the family members that pulling out last minute for both the local and oversea camp but the whole trip was indeed an enjoyment with the whole family. :)
got to know the yr 2s better and also talk to a few peeps in SCs... got to know some people's behavior - like vanessa, iris, sara and shuqi that are sooooooooooo 自恋, always taking the legendary 10-shots thingy with my camera. well, we have peeps that linked siswo and yanlin, jiahui and xinqi, me and XXX... hahaha... well funny, very funny indeed. (well, Cheryl dun realli like to take photos...)

as for the programme, the rafting was sweet, but the fun part is jumping into the river when the trekking was over in the evening... it was quite a decision to make with all of the SC members sweaty and tired... in the end, i took the call and lead and went in... karmen was saying its like reliving the Chiangmai trip, i couldnt agree more... but too bad, not all the SCs went down the river, had it been the whole SCs, i would be soooooo happy, come on, how many do have a chance to jump into a river and swim and just have fun. the 1/2 hour was like heaven and i totally agreed that it would be a memorable one for those who went down. the real funny thing is that i was trying to run away from the splashing from the whole bunch of yr 3s by swimming but due to the current against me, i dint move at all even i swim hard! hahaha!

last nite campfire was good. we had fun dancing the SC dance, we had fun dancing YMCA, we had our tears when sharing our thoughts and most of all, we had the moment of life. we LIVE. that moment where it will remain in each of our hearts to eternity, that is something that no one, no situation, no time, no space would take away from us.

last but not least,
to the yr 4s - so sorry, Mr Yeo wasnt there in the first 6 months to guide you, to talk to you, to listen to you... and most of all, Mr Yeo wasnt there to be with you - but you grow and become strong.
to the yr 3s - you are all going to take up the mantle of 'to care, to serve, to lead' from your seniors, carry the torch well and never ever let the flame die - i know you wont.
to the yr 2s - welcome to the family, i hope you will find yourself in a place of love, friendship and most of all ohana.

okie.. some pictures!

the bigger size of the level camp poster

2008-06-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

hmm.. for those who wanna a bigger size of the poster to take a look or to download for the yr 2 level camp... this is it.. sorrie for the long wait... :P

the poster on the noticeboard

2008-05-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

hi year 2s,
this is the softcopy of the poster that i did on the noticeboard, u view it over here too..

group photos for year 2 level camp 08

2008-05-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

2 rough work on photoshop

2008-05-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

these are the two photos that i edited using photoshop...

string ensemble 08 photos

2008-05-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

here are some photos that i took for the concert last nite... strange thing is only after taking so many photos for many concerts, then i realised that VCH staffs charges $150 per photographer for taking photos for concerts.

things to remember....

2008-04-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

last friday, mr ang, mr low and myself made a trip to our new school which is still under construction... i took my camera down and start shooting the classrooms... the following pictures bring back fond memories i had in DHS in 2005 and 2006... :)

then of cos... i went to my 2Jateka.... and see what i got!!!! hahahaha

east coast shots

2008-04-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

last Saturday went to east coast there to take some shots of the students for a school banner... here are some photos... hahaha....

A song that I wrote, A story that I am telling...

2008-04-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

In 2003, I wrote a song by the title ‘HE’. It is a Chinese Christian song where the content is about God is the one that is always there to help us and to console us when things in our life take unexpected turns. I am not so good in my music so I only got to do the lyrics of the song and passed it to another brother-in-Christ. He dint come up with any tune to it and the whole song was being shelved from then onwards. I dunno why God put the lyrics in my heart to come up with the song.

Until end of 2004, another brother-in-Christ got to the hype of writing Christian songs and then there was when I found the word document and printed out a copy for him to try. Within 2 weeks, he finished the tune and with the first brother-in-Christ, they fine tune the whole song. They did a recording of the song using only guitar for me to hear. I enjoyed the song a lot. I still dunno why God created this song and what is His purpose for the song.

In 2005, when I first began to teach in Dunman High, I got a form class that I treasured a lot. 2 Jateka. There are 36 of them and all of them are a gem to me. It was a time where both boys and gals co-exist in the same class – I was with TKGS before coming to Dunman High. You could have imagined my thrill and excitement when I am given the role of a form teacher for this class. I had a great time with those 36 little ones... then something happened to one of them. Her father passed away due to illness. I was shocked. I still remember that night before visiting her father in the hospital, I was praying hard for miracles to happen, and for the little soul to be strong in this midst of crisis. The next day, together with another teacher and a few close friends of her we went down. That was when her father’s situation took a worse turn.

Then the news that he had passed away.

I still remember her telling me that her daddy is going to learn the guitar together with her at the end of 2005 and that he has decided to station himself in Singapore and not fly so frequently due to work so that he can spend time with her. All of a sudden, everything vaporized in the thin air.

That night when I got the news I questioned God why and why and why. It was a time of struggling for my faith. I simply can’t understand why a God that is Love would remove love from a student of mine. And I start to ask how and how and how. How can I help? How will she live and face the world in future? How about the family?

I forgot to ask WHO.

And He reminded me WHO HE IS through the song that I wrote. I found the paper that had the lyrics on my table and really read the lyrics once more. And then I understand why God put such a song in my heart. I took 2 years to fully understand it. God has seen the future and place this song in the past to comfort the present. He prepared this song 2 years ago for her. The following is the translation of the song in English.

Who is the one that turns the night becomes day
Who is the one that turns the tears into joy
It’s Him, the Lord who created the heavens and earth
It’s Him, the Lord who is Alpha and Omega

Who is the one who lets the stars shine at night
Who is the one who nurture the earth with rain
It’s Him, the Lord who grant me life
It’s Him, the Lord who walks with me

In all crisis You are my comfort
When the flood comes You are my King
Though it is bitter but Your comfort is much more
Though the road is long I know who holds my hand

I shared this story to that batch of students in student camp 2005. How God has seen through time and prepares things for us long before creation. She was not there during the camp. She dint know about the sharing. This blog entry is for her… after another 3 years.

ZZZZ....zzz...

2008-04-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

between the time i blog till today, i have completed patapon... the first game i have completed since i bought my PSP last year. Ultimate Alliance havent finish cos cant get captain america to use a long hammer to hit a spot... grrr... now life is getting bored without my patapons...

anyway left only 3 week plus before i come back to school... wonder how the rest of the teachers and my students are doing now... hopefully they are doing well in school.. jiayou.. i will join u all back sooner than you think... hahahaha...

and to all the not so tall people that is reading my blog - please there is nothing wrong being short... even when u r in yr 3... u will grow and overshoot ur instrument and that one day you will be a tall handsome young man. and do enjoy your shortness because you are unique. THERE IS ONLY ONE YOU! God made only ONE and ONLY ONE you. so be who you are and enjoy yourself. you are part of the world but there is only one you. live life as worthy as you can be. always remember that in this life, there is no turning back. we can look back, for memories and old times, but we can never go back in time - so treasure your presence. and also treasure the time you spend with your friends and teachers.

was having dinner with siswo and mr tay the other day at simei foodcourt... then we were talking about how time flies and how things go so fast... in a blink, i was with 1Jateka enjoying the orientation, in another, those kids are now student leaders in different areas in school. i am with dunman high for 4 years liao... fast man, that is 2/3 time that i spent in TKGS.... time realli passes fast. there is no time for us to bear grudges, there is no time for us to compete and compare who is better, there is no time for us to dwell in personal pride. but there is time for us to love, to be with each other, to do things for greater for greater goods...

so to my beloved jatekaians - treasure your time with ur friends, we been through a lot in 2 years... that was the best time i have in DHS and will always be. take care and raise a banner where a banner never flew... if not now.. .when?

(ok got to pay attention to my lecturer liao.. bb :P)

For my beloved yr 3 SCs...

2008-04-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

to my beloved yr 3 SCs,
just some pointers that i shared with u all last Friday..

1. That everyone of us is a piece of puzzle that forms a beauty and complete picture. so everyone is important to make the picture complete - remember what i told u all about finding out the last piece of puzzle missing?

2. That each of us is interlock with one another, in fact, i use the word 'intertwined' with one another - so if one of us is successful, the rest celebrates the success too... if one of us is burdened, we share it amongst us.

3. That as we work together as a family and one vision, we will and must reach out to our year 3s.

4. That your seniors love you and care about you...

yupp yupp, i think that's all i have to say... have a nice week ahead. :)

Patapon

2008-04-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

hmm.. i think i am blogging some really serious stuffs.. so this one is a bit light.. and you can see what i am doing recently.... patapon is a very exciting game.. but i am stuck at hunting down the golden peacock to get the spell of the wind to blow off the arrows... so if anyone see this, PLEASE tekll me how to aquire the spell of the wind... if u dunno wad i am talking abt... then perhaps wad u can do is get one PSP and the game.. PATAPON... if you are still confuse, then here are some pics of the game...

photos of westlake in china

2008-04-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

these are some photos i took at westlake - a famous lake in hangzhou. as you can see, westlake is famous with 2 major stories - the mdm white snake and also the butterfly lovers. the tower thingy that you see in one of the photos is actually the tower where mdm white snake is being captured by the monk who i forgotten the name. i dint managed to get the school that mr liang shan bo and miss zhu ying tai went cos its at the other side of westlake. the rest of the photos are taken at the temple where it pays tribute to our beloved hero - mr yue fei. enjoy!

being reflective

2008-03-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Actually this post is to respond to what one of my student, Siyin, wrote in her tag – that she finds it hard for her to know me as being so reflective. So I think I will just blog about being reflective in general and what is it for me to be reflective.

I think being reflective simply means giving one time to be alone and be still. This is very rare and getting rarer in this society of Singapore. Everyone is so rushing for things to get done. Every student is rushing for homework to be completed, projects to be discussed and also excelling in his or her CCAs. Every teacher is rushing to complete his/her syllabus, ‘enriching’ the students with programs and also marking homework from students and meeting datelines. Time has become so precious that it is as if our 24 hours has become 12 hours per day. A big ironic thing is that as technology advances, it is supposed to shorten the time for meetings for work and thus giving the family more time to spend together. However, what one discovers is that there is now less family time, children are not interacting as much as before and that most of the time parents are not at home but somewhere. We ask – where have all the time ‘saved’ being spent? When do we start spending time with those we love?

But posing these questions is easy – answering them is tough. Even harder is knowing the answers and acting upon them. Recognizing that even spending time with love ones is so tough, what can be said to spending time with oneself? When will we begin to realize how attention seeking is the flowers that are besides the road? When will we begin to realize that in order for us to learn and grow, there is aspect of giving oneself ample time to be still and be reflective? Not to mention also the need for space for us to be truly with ourselves without any distractions or implications? There is a need for the practice of being alone – where being alone is not about being lonely. And in this MLS course, it really helps me to being alone.

In my life, I have been enjoying being with people, especially youngsters. For the past 12 years when I first stepped into teaching, I have been enjoying human interaction in my profession. It is always going and keeping on going with minimum breakaway from what I am doing. If it is doing curriculum time, it would be teaching and marking; if it is during holidays, it would be bringing students to overseas trips or improving on my notes for my students.

In this course, I am given time to do reflection – away from my normal life of teaching and preparing notes. This is very difficult for me initially. I have been so bonded with what I am doing that I felt so detached from the very thing that I am passionate with. However as time passes, I find that it is important for me to get detached away so that I can spend time learning more and greater things. My scope of Singapore education has begun to open up and deepen at the same time; my readings have given me different perspective of leading and guiding people that I am with; and as I reflect, I find more and more things that I can improve as a subject head and a teacher. I recall and recollect my journey so far as a teacher, I go back to my fundamentals; I go back to my values.

So, Siyin, if you are reading this entry, I just want you to know the importance of being reflective – that you will go back to your values and that you will go back to your goals that you set before you start to journey. And I also want you to know that it is tough to reflect because you are breaking the norm of being busy – being blindly busy. But when you do reflect, not going to the mountains to mediate but to just spend perhaps 15 minutes each weekend to be still and quiet, you will slowly begin to know who you really are and why are you doing the things that you are doing. You will clear the mist in your life and be more passionate on the things that you are doing. So, as your teacher, I encourage you give yourself time to do reflection – you might find something that you have never known about yourself before.

The Art of Letting Go...

2008-03-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

One thing that NIE did not teach me in 1997 is the art of letting go. You see, back in the old campus at Bukit Timah, I was doing Mathematics under Mr Ang KC and English under Dr Oliver Seet, who we affectionately called him ‘The Terminator’. I had been through all those lectures and also tutorials of how to teach and what to teach, how to make a lesson interesting, preparing lesson plans and also doing school attachment for 10 weeks at Maris Stella High School. Of all the lectures and tutorials, no one, absolutely no one, told me how to let go… or how tough is it for a teacher to let go.

So after one year in NIE, I was posted to Tanjong Katong Girls’ School to be a permanent teacher there teaching mathematics. I was given a secondary two class as my form class and, in those days where I am young and naïve, all I could think of is how to inspire them to be better ladies of the tomorrow. I spent my afternoons after school staying back to coach them, giving them extra lessons or just simply talking to them. I hang out at the canteen during recesses to show them that I am approachable and that I am one of them. i took class photos of them and each individual ones in action during school events. I couldn’t ask for more than being a form teacher of 2E2.

The next year, I followed them up to secondary three. Even though they are being streamed to different classes, I got to teach about 5 classes which I got to know more students. Well, of cause, that includes most of my former form class of 2E2. The usual practice of spending time and sharing with them life lessons still continued and as time went by, I became more like a big brother to them than a teacher. A friend to them when they needed a listening ear, a mentor to them when they are lost in their paths.

Then came 2000, the year where they took the ‘O’ levels. I did not prepare myself at the end of the year when all of a sudden my students are all graduating. That particular last lesson just before the study break was the most unbearable one to me. I remembered bringing them to the computer laboratory and have them to just spend time reflecting and giving thanks for all the things that all we had been through for the past four years. They cried and cried and I couldn’t hold my tears too. I did not leave with them a cheer like what Pak Tee did to his students, I left with them with a closure that they will never forget in their lives, a closure that I would never forget in my life too.

The first day of school in 2001, I was emotionally down. I am lost without them. All of a sudden, 5 classes of 40 students are gone from my sight in a snap of the finger. I was wondering how I am supposed to continue teaching as before with totally new classes. NIE did not teach me the art of letting go…

I got my lesson finally through a one year old kid I saw at Parkway Parade. He was holding hard to her mother by clutching his hands onto her index finger, refusing to let go. Then finally he let go, and got his pacifier.

Letting go is not declaring abandoning, letting go is not forgetting the past. Letting go is about seeing that there is a better future coming. There is a time for everything; and a season for every activity under heaven. My time of coaching and mentoring had come to an end and it was time for them to move on. It was a time for me to move on. And I did, with happiness and joy that they are all grown up.

In 2006, I decide to let go once again...

Strange sighting in Singapore

2008-03-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

This is some strange sightings around Singapore that I discovered. The first is a photo that I took right outside my c hurch. If you look very carefully you would notice that the price of the can of drink cost $1 in the middle while the rest cost $0.80. Wonder what is added ingredients inside that is different from the rest.

The 2^nd picture is taken at BEST at Tampines Mall – it’s a life size transformer. No wonder one day, I feel that the world may be conquered by these ‘More than meets the Eye’.

The last picture is a group of gals sighted at Orchard Road doing interview on whether one should take care of his parents when they are old. I was very lucky to be interviewed. This is really strange cos i was just walking to Kino to get my comic books and then i spotted them. Hahaha... i hope they are not so shocked as me... but it was good that they recognized me and called me. :P

YEAH!!!

2008-03-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

this is really wonderful... i passed my advance theory examinations for driving. one is supposed to answer 50 questions and the passing mark is 45. heng heng got study during the China trip and did up the 500 questions from the book. last time for the basic theory examinations i got to retake it and passed only on the 2nd time... (never study the first time...)
anyway the moral of the story is: if u study hard, you can achieve!
now the mission is to find a master teach me how to drive....
hmmm... wish me luck!

the walnut story

2008-03-18T01:50:00.001-07:00

for those who are so interested in why the 'walnut production', it all comes from the walnut story that i have been giving to my classes from 1998 till now... with all the constraints and restrictions we have in our lives, may we all grow and be like a walnut to maximize our stay on this temporary home...

THE WALNUT STORY
Consider the walnut! If you compare a walnut with some of the beautiful and exciting things that grow on our planet, it does not seem to be a marvelous act of creation. It is common looking, rough, not particular attractive, and certainly not monetarily valuable. Besides, it is small. Its growth is limited by the hard shell that surrounds it, the shell from which it never escapes on its own. Of course, though, that’s the wrong way to judge a walnut. Break a walnut open and look inside. See how the walnut has grown to fill every nook and cranny available to it. It had no say in the size or shape of that shell, but given those limitations, it achieved its full potential of growth. How lucky we will be if, like the walnut, we blossom and bloom in every space of life that is given to us. Take heart! If one nut can do it, so can you.

photos from China trip

2008-03-18T01:34:00.000-07:00

well, this is the first time i am blogging officially.. so here is putting some photos up first from my China trip... visited 3 schools.. .these are the kids that is from suzhou experimental school...