文+武=斌

Bye 4 Now!~

2010-05-17T19:10:00.002+08:00

Back in June 2010~

Cheated and Accused. How nice!

2010-04-02T00:20:00.002+08:00

To Person A:

Thanks a lot. You made me realized what a big fool I was. You made me think twice about placing my trust on someone again. You enlightened me that friendship is not worth its weight in gold. You showed me how wrong I am to be a 滥好人. Through you, the idea of never judge a book by its cover was reinforced. I don't understand why even up to the very last minute, you still claim innocence. Well, maybe I look that gullible to you. People say 'Be a man and own up'. Well, I guess its safe to say you're not one. What are you worried or scared off? Me? Surely not. Else you wouldn't have done what you did. Then? I really don't get it. By keeping mum, you are only strengthening my belief that you were in the thick of it. Fine. Do as you deem right. 人在做，天在看。若要人不知，除非己莫为。To think you even tried me out again. For goodness sake, put a stop to your evil thoughts. Retribution will befall one day - sooner or later. Good luck to you. You'll need it. Lots of it.

To Person B:

Everything is my fault. All wrong is due to my misdeeds. You are one of the victim. I owe it to you. You are always right. I am always wrong. I have no right to explain and there is never a chance of you giving me the benefit of doubt. Always knew that once the trust is broken, it can never be fixed. I was just too silly to even hold out for that slight possibility of being given a renewed chance. Fat hope that. You can think I am not doing my part. You can think I am not trying and just waiting for incidents to unfold and things to be settled on its on. You can continue labeling, accusing and finding fault. After all, nothing I say/do can change your perception. Funny how someone with no conscience can actually be so affected but your words and actions. Maybe he's just plain stupid. I still thank you for the helping hand you lent, be it out of your own willingness or on the account of other parties. Whether you accept or not and whether you believe I mean what I say or not, is beyond my control. Guess you are right in saying what you feel though. No point being a hypocrite. I was plain silly to be affected by your words. Sorry - but I've always been that dumb so you shouldn't be too put off, right? It's my fault. It's mine - and I mean it.

She is Gone - David Harkins

2010-03-03T15:18:00.001+08:00

You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

欲速则不达

2010-02-16T00:05:00.003+08:00

I need to post and see this so as to remind myself. >_< Don't wana fell into the trap! Hush hush. Haste doesn't necessary makes things faster. Can't let it hamper the progress. Hell, NO!

True Legend

2010-02-13T11:12:00.003+08:00

新“醉拳”无招胜有招

My 1st movie for 2010 and last one for lunar yr of 2009: 《苏乞儿》True Legend

Plus: Action-packed scenes, fast tempo - you basically can't take your eyes off too long for any particular moment cos if you do, you'll more or less miss something.

Minus: Dry and predictable plot. It was evident that Yuen Woo-ping, being a Chinese martial arts choreographer, was placing more emphasis on the attacking moves rather than focusing on a strong story, to captivate audiences' eyes rather than heart.

Best acting performance: Zhou Xun, by a mile.

Remarks: Jay Zhou's appearance and his character was more of a miss than hit. The intention was purposeful but the portrayal let it down. Brought out a few laughters though.

Grading: 6.8/ 10 (2.8 for plot, 4 for screenplay)

Overall verdict: Not for the faint hearted. Those who love fights and combats will enjoy this. Those hoping to watch a 'story' unfold would've been left disappointed.

Infuckingcredible

2010-02-02T19:44:00.003+08:00

Just for laughz. Its an old video but a friend shared again it a few days ago. This is one word that has transformed from crude to urban. >_<

Let Down

2010-01-29T23:16:00.002+08:00

I don't know where to start, but I know one thing, for sure, i.e. I've lost respect for you. Not all, but a lot, I would say.

Why do you have to beat about the bush and walk one big round to get to Maybe we belittled you. No, 'belittled' is too strong a word because we treated you truthfully. We never ever saw you as any form of 'danger' lurking around so there's no way we could have ever belittled or underestimated you.

Just wished you had been more open. I mean since you feel no guilt and shame in doing what you are doing now, then what shame or discomfort would you feel if you were to be direct and give me the kind of 'in your face' treatment? Well, silly me huh? Why would you care about what I think. You are more concern with your own reputation and 'good' name and rightly so. Its all about tactics and scheming yeah, but you got your bow and arrowed pointing at the wrong person. Good riddance and stay where you are.

你敬我一尺，我敬你一丈。惹毛了我，休怪我无情！

The Past Week

2010-01-18T17:17:00.004+08:00

School...

Aiyo, next time better 话不要说得太早。 >_< Said I can't wait for sch reopen. End up after 3 sch days can't wait for wkend to arrive. ^_^" Mon-Wed's lessons are all super early, therefore gotta leave home super early as well. Tue's the worse, cos 8 hrs of sch, 6 hrs of lesson and all are lectures, no tutorial that day. Halfway through the day very 'seh' (aka shag) already. Last Tue reached home 3/4 dead. Hope not the same case tml. Wed's the longest but since one of the module, which happens to be the last lesson for that day is more on wrapping up of last sem's project work, its not on every wk. Thank God!

Liverpool...

From a season of great expectation, after the 2nd place finish, Ronaldo's exit, Arsenal's lost of 2 key players, potential effect of African Cup of Nations to Chelsea's season due to the lost of players' services to one of increasing disappointment.

Alonso's exit. Johnson's arrival impact hugely minimised by his on-off injuries, Torres unavailability, Gerrard's dip in form, team's failure to handle defensive set piece situation, dodgy 20m signing of Aquilani, *that* beach ball in the Sunderland match that cost us a dear 1-0 defeat, Champions League exit thanks to late goals conceded in 2 of the grp matches. Torres, Gerrard, Benayoun now all out for a couple of wks at the same time. And the latest one, being the late equaliser conceded vs Stoke and Kuyt's strike against the post which could've gifted us a priceless win, seeing how Tottenham, Aston Villa, Man City all dropped points over the same wkend.

Should Rafa go? Well, no one were questioning him, his work and his abilities at the start of the season when many were predicting a successful title race for Liverpool. All the critics turn out in full force when things started getting wrong. If a guy is incapable, he's incapable. He doesn't turn from capable to being incapable, over the space of 6 mths. Simply put, ppl are just jumping on th band wagon. I don't see ppl commenting that he should leave at the start of the season. Why so now? 落井下石。见风使舵。乘你病，要你命。

I'm not blindly supporting him. 1stly, he has his flaws, he committed mistakes. That's undeniable. Alas, the manager doesn't play on the pitch. There is only so much that he can do. Players are not robots. They can't be programmed. Everyone has to shoulder part of the blame. Besides, one major issue is, there doesn't seem to be anyone more capable or of decent calibre to take over, should Rafa be sacked.

It is in times of adversity that shows you the making of a man. Afterall, doesn't ppl often say 'when the going gets tough, the tough gets going' and 'what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger'? We're ride out of this storm. Forget about top 4 for the moment. Forget about the Europa league now. Concentrate on the next game. Make gradual small steps forward. That's the most prudent and best way for us to bounce back.

Can't Wait

2010-01-07T20:14:00.002+08:00

'Found' my sec sch English teacher on FB about two weeks ago. I've never been one who like/prefer a specific teacher but some 'special' or 'outstanding' ones do stay in my mind. Note the open and close brackets. What I mean is when compared to other teachers, not necessary that they really go an extra mile or did something unusual etc. Ehm... I think to be able to leave a mark in someone's memory is pretty good already and honestly speaking, there are many other factors that 'allow' the teacher to show his/her 'specialty'/'uniqueness'. Its a fact of life. We're living in a realistic word. Chances are, between an 'alright', average student (who doesn't get into trouble and does basically what is expected of him/her) and a teacher, the teacher is unlikely to be able to do some 'extra'. The stories we hear about how noble the teacher is normally revolves around a certain circumstance.

Anyway, back to my earlier 'topic'. A couple of years after I graduated, I heard about her leaving Singapore for voluntary work but that was about it. Found out its accurate info after communicating with her and indeed she had been in Cambodia, teaching English at a centre her church set up. She was there for 3 years before moving to Perth for her Masters degree and will be back in SG this year. That's exactly the kind of thing I was dreaming of. However, admittedly, I'm not as noble. Haha.

While she actually did it when she's still at a pretty young age, my plan was more 'rigid' and 'less noble' as I was hoping to teach and work till late middle-age and then travel to a less privileged nation to set up some form of centre/sch for kids there. In her case, she 'sacrificed' her youth but I guess that's probably the diff between men and women, since guys have slightly heavier social responsibilities (not sexual discrimination, ok? :P). We have to secure our basic needs and necessity first whereas for the ladies, they probably can afford less worries on that.

Anyway, it's inspiring in a way cos things are usually easier said than done. Have heard of so many views/wishes but in the end, not many were really established. Its through real examples like hers that acts as constant reminder to me that its achievable and many a times, its the heart that's overruling the mind.

4 days to restart. Can't wait. Jul will be an interesting month of mix feelings. Next Jul will be even more so I guess. Ha!

Hello 2010!

2009-12-31T23:22:00.009+08:00

2010 is definitely one sporting year. So much events coming up.

Jan 2010

Feb 2010

Mar 2010

Jun 2010

Aug 2010

Partial lunar eclipse will be in Jun 2010 and the total lunar eclipse will be in Dec 2010.

Hope 2010's gonna be a fanTENstic year and everything will be 十全十美!

Have a Great Year Ahead!

2009-12-30T19:37:00.005+08:00

Tml is off day for me so here's my early wishes to all. May 2010 be a rewarding year for everyone. Stay happy and healthy. Enjoy!~

Merry X'Mas

2009-12-24T13:30:00.002+08:00

I can go on and go about "Avatar". I'm sure others who've caught it could do the same, so just 2 words to summarize it - "MUST SEE" !

All new perspective and depth of the words "I See You" after watching it. Shan't continue else I can't stop. Just go catch it - remember, in 3D!

"I See You" Music Video

2009-12-20T11:13:00.001+08:00

Wow, saw a lot of new scenes of the movie, apart from those previously featured in the trailers. It whets my appetite even more. Heard lots of very good review as well. Can't wait to see it. I See You - literally! =P

“I See You” (Theme from Avatar) by Leona Lewis in HD

Trailer Park | MySpace Video

如果人生也能够这样...

2009-12-18T15:17:00.004+08:00

昨天看到《春去春又回》大结局里张长贵对张来福‘说’的这段话，让我起了鸡皮疙瘩、感触良多。对我心里所想的，可以说是不谋而同。

大哥，

我想向你说一声对不起。我知道已经无法挽回，但是我还是想向你说一声对不起。
...
...
我一直在想如果当年我留在沙洲村、我没来上海的话，那不知道有多好。
我一直在想，小时候你常常教我在沙上写字。我一写错字，你就用树叶轻轻地一扫、让我重新再写。
如果人生也能够这样，用树叶轻轻一扫就重新再来，该有多好。

春去春又回我走过的孤独很黑
难忘那一刻你走进生命的瞬间

我不信命我信爱情是没有理由悲欢的注定
在我的掌纹中你在那里如此的清晰
没有输赢你是我的命

我不信命
我信命中你给的每个考验和奇迹

Everything

2009-12-14T16:01:00.005+08:00

快两年了，多么希望一切的一切都只是一场恶梦。若如此，至少还能醒过来。可惜的是，周围的黑暗皆因无底洞掩盖了光线所致。别无选择，没得埋怨。只有继续向上爬，以盼早日到达地面。

人有逆天之时,天无绝人之路 —— 【明】冯梦龙

(P/S. Check out the skit for Lifehouse's Everything if you havent' seen it before. Meaningful even for a non-christian.)

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Liu Xiang's Treble Success

2009-12-11T20:06:00.002+08:00

Thumbs up for China's and Asia's "Flying Man", who completed his personal treble after recording his 3rd victory since his return from tendon injury. The irony here is that in his race at today's East Asian Game, he was in lane 3. :P Not the best of timings but at least its another step in the right direction. ;)

This is an 'old' commercial from earlier this yr, and its meant for Coca Cola, but it has significant meaning in it. "这只不过又是一个栏而已" --> This is just another hurdle. The hurdle here was referring to his injury. What an analogy.

His comeback thus far has certainly showed the world what the first Chinese man to win an Olympic track gold medal is made up of. ^_^

Great Goals!

2009-12-10T13:08:00.004+08:00

This is what possession football is all about.

"Busi is intercepting a rotten pass. Watch the sequence that comes after that, over the next 50 seconds: Busi, Keita, Ibra, Keita, Ibra, Iniesta, Xavi, Iniesta, Dani, Busi, Iniesta, Messi, Busi, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Iniesta, Ibra, Messi, Abidal, Xavi, goal. 21 passes by 8 players and a fine finish by a sliding Xavi after a wonderful on-the-ground cross by Abidal."

When things are getting desperate, we often see goalies charge up for set pieces towards end of the game to try and pile up pressure by increasing no. of bodies in the box attacking the ball. 99 out of 100(?) times, it will end up fruitless. Not for Standard Liege's Bolat though. Good goal. Well deserved.

And over the previous weekend where lots of players missed penalties in the English Premier League, here's Bayern Munich's goalkeeper, Butt, in the match against Juventus, who showed its not as tough to overcome the pressure and nerves, actually.

宋家皇朝

2009-12-08T13:21:00.003+08:00

宋家皇朝， one of my favourite movies. 3 legendary women(sisters) who change the con-texture of China(& Taiwan) history, icing on cake were the terrific acting by the likes of Maggie Cheung and Michelle Yeoh plus the great music by Kitaro. The script encompassing the love life, kinship and ambitions of the trio was an excellent mix too! Very touching and emo ending too.

"在遥远的中国，有三个姐妹，一个爱钱，一个爱权，一个爱国... ..."

The starting of the show was captivating enough. Brings back lots of memories re watching it.

Avatar - Go Catch It!

2009-12-06T18:53:00.006+08:00

I was looking at an online preview of the upcoming movie, "Avatar" and this component on the reviewer's ratings was pretty interesting. (LOL @ the "HFSTLA" aclaim on 2nd screen)

Like what another described, "Epic Director. Epic Singer. Epic Song. Epic Movie."

The legendary James Cameroon's is back after 12 years without any movie production. Who can ever forget "Titanic" and its theme song "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion? Interestingly, he has gone for Leona Lewis this time round ("I See You") and the rhythm does sound sci-fi enough. The lyrics are typically duo-meaning too (i.e. the special one around you & the special ONE up there watching over you). What a production to wrap up 2009 for movie viewers.

If you're struggling to find reasons to watch "Avatar" (- out locally on 17th Dec; why should you, in any way?), those listed on the screen shots below ought to be valid enough. ^_^

(Click to enlarge)

The soaring ballad has drawn comparisons to My Heart Will Go On, sung by Celine Dione, the theme song of Cameron’s blockbuster movie Titanic. Both songs were written by composer James Horner. Leona Lewis told PopEater:

“James and I spoke about the meaning and emotion of the song. He showed me clips from the film which gave me insight into the characters and this whole other world that he had created. The song represents the feelings shared between Jake and Neytiri, it’s very powerful and beautiful.”

World Cup 2010

2009-12-05T02:55:00.003+08:00

Okie, so the draw for World Cup 2010 was made this morning (SG time) and there wasn't really a Group of Death (i.e. especially tough group with almost equally strong teams.

IMO, the trickier ones are Group A, B, D and G. I've made my predictions (bar any major players missing in the actual team selection) and will check back in half yr + time and see how accurate I am. LOL.

Grp A - SA as host nation will pose threat as they will be playing for crowd and pride. Previous WCs have shown impact of home/crowd support. Huge possibility of France flopping and not make it through but think Uruguay's lack of big stage experience will count against them.

Grp B - Nigeria is a weakening force, 2nd spot should be btw Korea and Greece. After what they did in Euro 04, you can never write Greece off but am opting for Korea cos of the pace their players possess and also think fatigue will catch up with Greece's ageing team.

Grp C - If England can't top the grp, they can forget about winning WC, smash their legs with bricks and book early flight home.

Grp D - The only thing going against Germany is their lack of goals in the team. The other three teams are on par in terms of quality so it's not hard to see why some of the media are touting this as 'Grp of Death'. Australia's tactics are too conservative for my liking and Ghana are an industrious side but lack creativity. Serbia have some underrated players and could prove to be a surprise package.

Grp E: Netherlands may be the potential upset - their strikeforce is looking 'weak' - injuries + lack of 1st team football. If they make it thru as expected, then Japan to edge out Cameroon IMO. The Japs are underrated technically and Cameroon are similar to Ghana in that they are strong physically but base their play on key players, who may be marked out of game or have an off day.

Grp F: Paraguay did very well in South American qualifiers and should join Italy in progressing to next stage.

Grp G: Ivory Coast to upset Portugal, who lack a natural goal scorer - a real pity given the no. of creative midfielders they have.

Grp H: Like England, Spain's grp is relatively easy. I'll be rooting for them and the easy grp they've drawn means they can rotate around and keep the squad fresh for latter stages.

Bus 24 (SBS 8238E)

2009-12-04T15:39:00.004+08:00

Was on Bus no. 24 yesterday afternoon and had a positive experience. The bus captain was polite from the start, cos when I apologized briefly (for not walking towards the bus - cos it was 3rd in the queue, but it did stop to allow passengers to alight, therefore he had to drive a few 'steps' forward just for me, since I was only one then boarding the bus at that bus stop), he was friendly and bothered to reply - even though I was pretty soft, so I was impressed with his ability to caught what I was saying too. Okie, so much so for the long intro, I actually thought that was it. Alas, to my pleasant surprise, its not. He actually greeted passengers boarding the bus at various stops with 'Thank you'.

What impressed me was not his politeness. The thing that did was his attitude. He did it knowing (1) some ppl will find him funny/'extra', esp. in local/asian culture and (2) that he most prob. won't gain any form of reward for that - cos again, locals/asians are stingy in giving praises and I doubt there will be many who will write/call in to commend, most will probably be too lazy to do so, or simply think what he did was 'his own business', up to himself.

I think his attitude epitomize the ideal attitude towards work or when approaching a task, i.e. enjoy the process, do your part and ignore whatever critics that may come your way, as long as you deem its right/not wrong and it brings no harm to others.

I doubt its a case of 1 bus captain to specific vehicle but still, well done to Bus Captain of Bus No. 24, SBS 8238E. Way to go!

可是我真的不够勇敢
总为你忐忑为你心软
毕竟相爱一场不要谁心里带着伤
我可以永远笑着扮演你的配角
在你的背后自己煎熬
如果你不想要想退出要趁早
我没有非要一起到老

My 'Harvest' from Library

2009-12-02T12:49:00.003+08:00

Surprised when I saw the Fernando Torres biography. Never expected the library to be so on the ball. Grabbed it with both hands without hesitation upon seeing it. =D.

2 ang mo and 2 cheena ones - enough to last me for the next 2 wks le.

我不会忘记那天
那一夜
你陪我流下的泪
黎明前
吻着你
抱着风
把孤单推过来
你最后那一眼
烙在我的脑海
一千个夜也不能
把最爱偷回来

Thumbs up for 'Mulan'

2009-12-01T19:23:00.004+08:00

Alright, I finally know what those comments about 'Mulan's ending being disappointing. It's rather misleading. Actually, I think they mean the 可惜 type of disappointment rather than the 失望 type.

The storyline was well paced and direct. It turned up better than expected, perhaps cos the theme was so renowned. One aspect that impressed me was the maximizing of the 'additional' characters' impact. Take Russian pop singer Vitas for example. His guest appearance role was a small yet impactful one.

The show drew my 1st bead of tear almost right at the start, abt 5+mins into the movie. Thankfully, there were the humourous portions that smoother the mood every now and then, esp. at the beginning. The role played by Jackie Chan's son, Jaycee, deserves a commendable mention, too. Prepare your tissue paper/handkerchief towards the last half hour of the show.

Vicki Zhao's acting was great. Compared to when she first appeared in 琼瑶's 还珠格格，her skills are so much more mature. Chen Kun, IMO, was a good counterpart. The battle scenes, especially the last one was good. If you're looking for a story full of upheavals, this one will disappoint you. There were mainly 3 climaxes but the 1st one did catch me unaware. Alas, if you are looking for a quality show, go catch it. It's certainly not what you expect from the title - historical, boring show laden with content. Quite the opposite. Its simple yet effective. At least, it moved the audiences to tears. You could hear people sneezing (cos' of their mucus? :P) and you could tell everyone was touched - by the content, the action, the acting, the mood and the music. Thankfully, the last 10 mins or so allowed the tears to dry up. Now I understand why they release it now rather than during CNY period.

Personal fav. 经典台词: "害怕，只能让我们失去更多!"

搁浅

2009-11-29T16:43:00.005+08:00

搁浅
　　英文：run around
　　拼音：gē qiǎn
　　~~1.（船只）进入水浅的地方，不能行驶。~~
　　2.比喻事情遭到阻碍，不能进行：谈判～。
　　~~3.比喻肤浅受到拦阻~~
　　~~4 被抛弃，~~失落失意的伤感
　　5 悲哀，~~分手后的难过~~

久未放晴的天空
依旧留着你的笑容
哭过却无法掩埋歉疚
...
...
暴晒在一旁的寂寞
笑我给不起承诺
怎么会怎么会你竟原谅了我

我只能永远读着对白
读着我给你的伤害
我原谅不了我
就请你当作我已不在
我睁开双眼看着空白
忘记你对我的期待
读完了依赖我很快就离开

One Last Good Luck for 2009

2009-11-22T11:40:00.005+08:00

Last paper tml! Last wk's was okay, at least better than I thought/hoped for. My wheels are falling apart and mentally drained. Can't wait for the holiday break. @#$$#%$%&. Hope everything goes smoothly tml. Fingers crossed.

Good analogy.

Shame on You, Henry

2009-11-19T21:02:00.007+08:00

Ok, so Thierry Henry has came out to admit the ball did touch his hand (but hang on, he claimed it wasn't delibrate. so can't really use the word 'admit', can i?). Do you call that honesty? Do you call that sportsmanship? Ireland were leading 1-0 at that point and both nations were tied at aggregate score of 1-1 and were playing extra time. Henry's control kept the ball in and in turn allowed William Gallas to score.

(Keane's goal for Ireland)

I still remembered when I thought P5 CME earlier this year on sportsmanship, I quoted examples such as diving for penalty and booking. Like I told the kids, thankfully, for major events there are replays and those replays will be proof for moral justice. They won't change any consequences but the 'offender' will get his due. That's the case for Henry now. He'd always been the gentlemanly type of footballer but his actions were a disgrace. Without that goal, who knows if Ireland could have scored a winner or emerge victors in penalty shootout?

Well, Henry might have had the 'burden' of his nation weighing on his mind because if he told the referee he had handled the ball and that the goal should be disallowed and if suey-suey France failed to qualify for World Cup 2010, he will incur the wrath of the entire nation. However, come to think of it, will they have any valid reason to blame Henry? He would have been upholding justice and gamesmanship and if France failed to qualify, it would've been due to the entire team, not because of him being honest. Now though, people are starting to call him a cheat and who's to say they are wrong?

Unfortunately, the Irish have suffered great injustice and despite their spirited performance, have to stomach such a cruel exit. Reports and critics are calling for some form of punishment like ban or a replay but I think the former is the likelier of the two, if there is any, at all. I may be cruel but if I'm FIFA, I would ban Henry from being selected for the upcoming World Cup. That'll be a huge punishment not only to the player himself but to the team which will lose their tails-manic player.

Good Luck To Myself

2009-11-16T18:53:00.008+08:00

Next 7 days will be long ones... On one hand hope for more time, on the other, hope it passes by and get done with quickly. So much for the irony. >_<

Good luck to myself tml and on 23rd (and those previous belated well wishes, I'm taking them out now for use. LOL)

Same intake yet such big diff in seating arrange. One so front one so back ^_^"

Tears Off & Move On

2009-11-15T20:53:00.006+08:00

The excerpts of Enke's memorial service brought tears to my eyes. (No disrespect meant but) Even Daniel Jarque's and Sir Bobby Robson's passing away weren't as emotional for me as Robert's. His tragic really touched the hearts of many, including myself. I aren't a particular follower of Hannover 96 or German National Team but this incident has certainly helped raised sympathy and awareness regarding depression and the many battles Enke had to fight.

You'll Never Walk Alone - what a fitting song to sing at his memorial (great song, great lyrics and one of the reason why I love Liverpool and its club anthem).

The other song they played, "The Rose" by LeAnn Rimes brings chills and goosebumps to me too.

I've wiped my tears and got over your departure. Over to you, now, for your new start, Enke. †.

BBC Report

Tribute † Enke †

2009-11-13T20:40:00.006+08:00

May the 2 of you be holding hands now. † Lara & Robert Enke.

(Love the triple save btw 1:14-1:21)

R.I.P. Robert Enke

2009-11-12T00:53:00.013+08:00

Some people deem committing suicide as a cowardly act of trying to escape from problems without putting up any fight. I don't subscribe to that. I said before and I'd stick by it - we are never in a position to utter the words "I know/can understand how you feel" because we never ever will.

Even the same problem, met upon by different people in different circumstance at different timing, can provide an entirely different outlook. That's not to say I advocate suicide. I just think we should think twice before passing our judgment - this I've mentioned before, too. Like I always tell the kids, that's why the brain is higher up in your body, above your mouth, and not anywhere else. So, always think twice before you say something, about anything or about anyone.

Nonetheless, I was hoping it was not a suicide case, as what was initially suspected. Alas, my worst fears came true.

-------------------------

Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke had been suffering from depression, his widow said Wednesday, one day after the Hannover captain threw himself in front of a train.

Speaking at a news conference called by his club, Teresa Enke said her 32-year-old husband was afraid their adopted daughter would be taken away from the family if his illness became public knowledge. The couple's biological daughter died three years ago from a heart problem when she was 2.
"I tried to be there for him," Teresa Enke said, choking back tears. "When he was acutely depressive, it was a difficult time. We thought we'd manage everything. We thought with love, we could do it. But you can't."
Mrs. Enke said her husband had been afraid that he would lose ``his sport, our private life," if his illness had become known. In May, the couple adopted a girl who is now 8 months old.
In a suicide note, Enke apologized to his family and the staff treating him for deliberately misleading them into believing he was better, "which was necessary in order to carry out the suicide plans," Markser said.
"Despite daily treatment, we did not succeed in preventing his suicide," the doctor said.

-------------------------

I thoroughly agree with Thomas Bach, president of the German Olympic committee, who called Enke's death "really tragic."

"When you see how many blows of destiny he had to overcome in the past years, how he always carried on and stood up, that shows his human qualities. That's why it's that much more tragic that he saw no way out any longer," Bach said.

-------------------------

Enke first sought help when he was blamed for Barcelona's loss to a second-division team in his debut and was dropped from the first team by then-coach Louis van Gaal, now in charge at Bayern Munich.

Enke, who was born in the former East German city of Jena and started his career there, also played for Borussia Moenchengladbach, Benfica, CD Teneriffa and Fenerbahce, which he left after one game because of a hostile reaction by fans over a poor performance. He joined Hannover in 2004.

Said Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira: "Sometimes in life we receive news which is so bad that we are stunned, and Robert Enke's death is, without doubt, one of those occasions.'"

-------------------------

Everyone thinks footballers earn big bucks and many are simply prima-donas but Enke's case really puts things into perspective. Shame on you Louis van Gaal. Learn to be a better man-manager. No wonder your Bayern Munich are laying in midtable now.

You had your reasons. You had your threshold and limits. We sympathize with that and although we would've dearly loved you to carry on the fight you've been embroiled in for so long, we are in no position to criticize your decision. I can't imagine what your feeling was like when you stepped on that pedal and raced towards the train. I'm lost for words. It pains to see such tragic and fragile aspect of life pass by. R.I.P. Enke. You'll Never Walk Alone.

May Teresa and their adopted child be showered with blessings. Stay strong - I'm sure that was the only thing on Enke's mind before he embarked on that journey of no-return.

我　没有本领　颠倒反应

Backstabbing, LFC, Work and Shows

2009-11-10T18:19:00.008+08:00

Super duper long post ahead... ...

Cup Final...

Went to catch RHB Singapore Cup Final with 3 ex-students last Sunday. Since one of them initiated it, much to my surprise, I decided to take on the offer and accompany them to their 1st (local) cup final.

First half was pretty frustrating. Bangkok Glass was obviously the more dominant side but they could not find their way past Geyland Utd. I was pretty unimpressed by the Thai side's no. 9 and found myself ranting at him as the half went on. Half time came and the score was 0-0. Second half was much better. Geylang stepped up a gear and threatened more on the counter attack. Alas, Bangkok Glass could've and should've taken the lead. However, you could tell luck was on the local team's side when they managed to score their goal, despite the inital shot hitting the post, then striking the cross bar and cleared off before the line, before the final follow up shot found the back of the net. The match had looked to be ending in stalemate so the capacity crowd of close to 6000 was estatic when the scoreline finally broke its duck.

There was drama late on though as the Thai side pushed on for the equaliser. They managed to earn themselves a penalty (which was awarded by the linesman instead of the referee) but Geylang's goalie, who ended up as Man of the Match, pumped it away.

Well, it had everything typical of a cup final. A closely-run 1st half, more open 2nd half, scrappy goal, red card, lots of yellow cards, controversy (cos referee initially waved play on before awarding the penalty) and a capacity crowd (they ended up opening the opposite end of the stadium cos fans were still coming in after the match had kicked off for ard 10 mins).

Although we wouldn't really mind the excitement of a penalty shootout, it was good in the sense that the match ended on time. Else, by the time everyone reached home it would've been ard 10.45, close to 11 le. One of the boys waited for his dad to pick him up at the stadium, another took train all the way back himself and the remaining one alighted with me at Aljunied, where I accompanied him at nearby bus stop in waiting for his dad to fetch him home. Thanks for the thought of asking me along! LOL.

Assignments...

After the previously hectic 1.5 wk with all the due dates and grp assignments, still left with 1 more. The other course mates already cleared liao le. Left us Chinese specialization de. Still gotta do one literature critique write up. No inspiration what to critique on. If write up on novels sure won't do as well as foreign classmates since their knowledge and foundation are much stronger - and lecturer is from China too. So its kinda 班门弄斧。Maybe writing on song lyrics, esp. those by 林夕 and 方文山 cos their lyrics more 'colourful', can 瞎掰 more. LOL.

Shows and Movies...

This is the time of the year where the blockbusters come out! 宫心计's (Beyond the Realm of Conscience) trailer looks cool. Although there are criticism saying its plot is similar to 大长今, but afterall, this drama, like the Korean one is based on historical records (although there's bound to be exaggeration/editing) - during the late Tang Dynasty. Already seen lots of episodes posted on Tudou liao but no time to watch yet. Should be the very 'pek-chek' kind of show where you can't wait to see how the vilians get their retribution. :P Waiting to see how 杨怡 performs in her role too. If she can make the most out of her role, she'll be in the reckoning for awards. As for 佘诗曼, just think her role is slightly normal, cos she has taken up such characters before.

2012 premiers this Thursday while there's the previously mentioned 花木兰. 风云2 will be out too - in Dec if not wrong, while there's also Astro Boy. Movie fanatics will be spoilt for choices. The former 2 will be of more interest to me, cos I don't follow 风云 and 雄霸 was an epic villian. After him, the bad guys don't seem as 'challenging' to me.

Astro Boy's 57 years old. Can you believe it? LOL. This japanese manga character was 'created' in 1952. Finally making his big splash in the big screen. The line which I remember most from the trailer is "I've got machine guns...in my butt?". Haha. Should be one for relaxing the mood after the tense storyline of 2012.

Backstabbing and Bickering...

If you think bad mouthing about someone behind his/her back is back stabbing, if you think landing someone into trouble by telling on him/her is back stabbing, you aint seen nothing yet. Wait till you step out of your circle into the big society.

There are times when you don't see eye to eye with another person but that does not mean you are right or he/she is wrong. Similarly someone may seem full of himself/herself but you can't rule out the fact that its an over ooze of confidence. Someone may sound crude, direct and strong in his/her words but that's not to say he/she is entirely mean. Someone may have told a lie or committed a mistake but that's not to say he/she is a liar or bad person, forever.

There's more than one side of things to everything. Well, almost. The next time you pass a judgment or remark, take a look from another perspective. Don't just look from the front. Give others a benefit of doubt. At the end of the day, if his/her actions or words are really defenseless, then at the very least, you gave that party a chance and show your magnanimous. And because you did not jump to conclusion or you let the matter off, conflicts and displeasure will be reduced.

It's not easy, of course, especially for young children. But you are all maturing and I believe you will learn as you grow.

31st Dec...

50 more days to this date. One reason why I'm looking forward to this year's bday is because ideally, I would have cleared off a couple of burden on the back of my mind - not a lot but at least that'll be sign of progress. As the last day of the year it's a time for reflection and anticipation as well. A chance to start afresh, kick things on and move on to a new surrounding in yr 2010.

Liverpool FC...

Every club has a blip once in a while. Sometime its last longer than others'. And because we are 1 huge club, people enlarge and exaggerate things. A change of manager is a big no-no. There was the summer clear out of academy staffs and a new man will mean more changes or him making do with not what he wants. Rafa signed a new contract too so any sacking will means massive pay off for his contract. Besides, we lost Alonso, lots of players to injuries and were unlucky at times. How else do you explain losing the lead to Lyon, twice, late on into the match? There aren't managers of enough calibre to succeed Benitez too. Only two I will take are Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho but I can't see us getting them, at least not at the moment.

The international break is upon us and that should allow us to recoup our injured/unfit players. December is always a very crucial period because of the number of games packed in the month so we could still turn things around. Certainly not the title, but if we can mount a strong challenge for Europa Cup (if we don't make it to CL latter stages), FA Cup and finish in top 4, then I'd be satisfied enough, after such a poor start to the season. Remember, Arsenal haven't won things for years too.

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

木兰情...

Oh, so the other song is the 插曲 whereas this one by Stefanie Sun is the 主题曲。The thing I like about both the songs and movie is it is depicting the human/feminine side of Mulan. She has been unfairly/overly doped as a filial heroine that people forgot her needs/wants and that extra pain she had to go through.

And the small coincidence I have is that, my last piece of work @ KHS was teaching resources and PowerPoint slides for last chapter of P4 Chinese syllabus on topic of 木兰从军。 ^_^

I Need A Miracle (of some sort), Too

2009-11-03T00:44:00.008+08:00

Touching up on ICT project now. Suddenly have an urge for an overhaul but not enough time left for that already. Definitely room for improvement though which is what I have to do between now and the next 11 hours. Don't know why so 'lucky' this semester majority of my grouping or presentation is either 1 or 2 and tml's is no diff - I'm the 1st >_<.

Speak fast? LOL. Ya I think I've no prob with that. In fact I think I spoke so fast during the previous demo that no one managed to throw any questions at me for the Q & A. ^_^" Guess the good thing is at least I'd get things done and over with and can watch the other presentations with no pressure + audience tend to remember the first + last presentation more vividly (provided they are worth the while)?

Actually after last week's demo presentation for peer critique I'm feeling quite alright (not to extent of confident though) about the work and presenting within the allocated time, so don't think I need luck. LOL! Appreciate if you can wish me well though. Hope there's no cock-up later. And that my amendments will enhance the work rather than make things worse. Now having a bottleneck cos of the acute rush of ideas but don't know where to start things off. UrGhHh!?!

On a sidenote, the trailer + MV for 2012 looks so terrifying! Looks like it was all doom and no way out. Really whet one's appetite to find out how the story develops! Although I'm one sadist who likes sad stories and endings, I'm certainly hope that like the song, miracles will happen. The scale of destruction is simply overwhelming! P.S. Adam Lambert is back!~

2012 Official Website

No Matter Where You Live
No Matter What You Believe
One Date Will Unite Us

(What a catch phrase, both for the movie's content - i.e. Armageddon and getting viewers to watch it - cos the date that unites everyone around the world is when they go to the cinemas and catch the show! Nice show of creativity and irony there.)

这世界好宽让孤独好满

2009-11-01T16:32:00.007+08:00

花木兰预计将以贺岁片跟大众见面。虽然故事内容比起以往的喜剧片沉重了点，我倒是觉得它能够起到一种提倡中华文化以及优良传统的作用。想必观赏完影片过后，绝大部分观众都会有一种说不出的感慨以及对身为龙的传人有所自豪吧！

我个人稍嫌主题曲歌词太短，不过还好有李伟菘的曲和张靓颖的音压阵。所说词极短，但却达到了述说木兰内心世界的目的。从中可以听到她对于爱情、亲情和友情的渴望，也带出了一点浓郁的伤感情绪。

导演马楚成向来以动作片闻名，预告片也有一定的震撼力。相信这将是部值得期待的影片。

让我把回忆当晚餐
吞下这许多年的酸

木兰啊你看天上的星星
如果有一天多了一颗
就是爸爸去陪你妈妈了

OMG! 我的天啊... ...

2009-10-31T01:47:00.013+08:00

What a way to mark her 10th anniversary. When I first heard it, its the catchy tune that caught my attention. But as always, Britney Spears won't be who is if it her songs/mv doesn't include any bit of controversy.

But its only until I saw the actual lyrics that I really ^_^""".

MV premiered on Friday on her official website. Nothing special compared to previous ones and as always she's out to skills but the lyrics (and the 'everybody loves uhhh' part) are controversial enough. >_<

This kind of song is best suited to listen to the tune and filter out all its lyrics' meaning. Hear no evil. LOL. Just enjoy its catchy fun tune.

Can't deny the song is a success though cos there are so many people playing with it online, be it creating remixes, covering it, filming their own versions of the mv or changing its lyrics and have fun.

That's a pretty disgusting yet utterly funny video on YouTube of a music video some 'fans' created for her song '3'. Can't bring myself to embed it here cos its a bit unsightly but if you're interested (remember view it with empty stomach or mouth cos u might puke, either out of disgust or laughter), search for "Britney Spears 3 Music Video" by RyanJamesYezak. There's an acute raise in the number of views and I won't be surprise if it hits a million before end of the week.

Gd attempt to create some laughter, guys (ehmm or 'gays'?). :P

'Hao Lian' Post

2009-10-30T13:48:00.004+08:00

Something that made my day. ^_^

remember i'm still here in love
i'll be here waiting, not giving up
i'll take my tears of you
cos my heart can't break away
i keep remembering yesterday

人生啊，人生！

2009-10-28T23:07:00.005+08:00

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
Friedrich Nietzsche

Looking back now that one of those thingy is 'over', I guess I was a bit negative 吧。 After all, I benefited from it - just that it was extra long/tiring process than it should've been(?). It's sure to help in my individual essay plus thought I was quite eloquent for today's presentation - cos I was the creator of the ideas 嘛。 So its like a father knowing the child. Really ought to have 想开一点. But then again, if I never 想开，then I might not even have done what I did 咯. Ranting kind of relieve that pressure/stress/anger out regardless of extent.

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities."
Eda J. Le Shan

"Diaper backward spells repaid. Think about it."
Marshall McLuhan

A friend gave birth 2 weeks ago. Another is expecting due in a month's time. Suddenly, life and babies form such a strong opinion in my mind. Can't describe the feeling. Like I told both ladies, it's really very 神奇. It's really Heaven's creativity at work. For 9 months +/- you know 'it' exists but it's very much an impression only. I guess only the mum really feels 'it'. Then 'suddenly' it appears in sight.

It's a real beauty. Its an entirely new start with a perfectly clean slate. You just wish to try and keep it as pure and secure as a sheet of white paper. Suddenly feel an urge of wanting to take care of a newborn baby.

The Longest Distance in the World 世界上最遥远的距离

The longest distance in the world
Is not that between life and death
But when I stand in front of you
Yet you don't know that I love you

The furthest distance in the world
Is not when I stand in font of you
Yet you can't see my love
But when undoubtedly knowing the love from both
Yet cannot be together
　　
The furthest distance in the world
Is not being apart while being in love
But when plainly can not resist the yearning
Yet pretending you have never been in my heart
　　
The furthest distance in the world
Is not，
But using one's indifferent heart，
To dig an uncrossable river for the one who loves you
　　
The farthest distance in the world
Is not we cannot be together when we love each other
But we pretend caring nothing
Even we know love is unconquerable
　　
The farthest distance in the world
Is not the distance between two trees
But the branches cannot depend on each other in wind
Even they grow from the same root

The farthest distance in the world
Is not the branches cannot depend on each other
But two stars cannot meet
Even they watch each other
　　
The farthest distance in the world
Is not the track between two stars
But nowhere to search in a tick
After two tracks join
　　
The farthest distance in the world
Is not nowhere to search in a tick
But doomed not to be together before they meet

The farthest distance in the world
Is the distance between fish and bird
One is in the sky,
Another is in the sea

(I learnt a new English phrase, thanks to this song. :))

meet someone halfway: compromise with, make a deal with, make concessions to, reach a compromise with, come to an understanding with, split the difference with (informal), find a happy medium with, find the middle ground with, go fifty-fifty with

I know cant turn time, cant erase mistakes

I tried to run
But I just cant escape
I cant think straight
Baby, Im so torn apart

12 Hours To Go

2009-10-25T11:44:00.005+08:00

It doesn't pay to be kind. Not when you are TOO kind. What makes things worse is others don't even feel a tinge of guilt. Feels like a fool. If only I have that kind of hack-care attitude.

I'm craving for you and just like a fool
There's no way I can stop stop stop my desire
I'm craving for you and you know it too
There's no one that can top top top your smile

Can't Let Go

2009-10-23T12:34:00.005+08:00

Yesterday was much better than the day before. Also happen to meet an ex-colleague from KHS who was also my Angel for the 1st yr in our Angel & Mortal game amongst colleagues. Haven't seen her for about a year since she left in 2008 for her Masters degree. Had a very long and interesting chat. Makes me think twice about some things though. Oh well, don't even know what's going to happen in the near future. Shouldn't worry that much or think that far. At least not for now. Adios.

(Love the chorus. Can't wait for the released version without the interruptions.)

baby baby baby
this how you gonna play me play me play me
but as soon as we are far apart
boy you know your gonna miss me hard

even if your heart was made of stone
even if you try boy you should know
you cant let go you cant let go
you aint done even if you think so
and if you find another one to share your world
you'll be wishing it was me and not some other girl
you cant let go, you cant
you cant be done with me no not until i say so

Byebye

2009-10-21T21:29:00.005+08:00

21st Oct 2009. A day to be forgotten. I wave you goodbye in 2 hr 30 min's time. Don't see you again.

Voices Swimming Through the Unchanging Winds
Innumerable Spoken Words
Echoes of the Past Travel Far and Beyond
Resting Forever on a Cloud

Shadows of the Moon, Beating Like a Living Heart
On the Water's Face, Troubled by the Rain
Space is Overwhelmed, Planets Drifting on a Sea
Stars Weeping Sympathetically

It's So Beautiful
Walking together, Held within your Arms real Close.
We'll walk Hand-in-Hand
Home to your City, I will Never Let You Go.

Hiding Within
Pulsates a Beating Heart
In Everlasting Nights
I Dream of You

Changes in the Wind, Reaching Out to your Voice
Simple and Sweet -- Pleasant Fantasies
Clouds Begin to Fade as the Future Ascends
Voices are Speaking Distantly

Shadows of the Moon, Floating on the Water's Face
Veiled in the Sky, Shrouded as a Dream
Stars Begin to Gleam as they Shatter in the Sky
Broken and Fading, Silently...

It's So Beautiful
Walking together, Held within your Arms real Close.
We'll walk Hand-in-Hand
Home to your City, I will Never Let You Go.

Hiding Within
Pulsates a Beating Heart
In Everlasting Nights
I Dream of You

Ranting

2009-10-19T17:58:00.006+08:00

Lesson learnt over the past few days: the next time I set up a deadline, I should set it at an earlier date, cos things will only be in on the last day itself or come in late. >_<

Tml meeting lecturer for ICT so that has to be the priority and have to get the skeleton + most of the 'flesh' out. Left with draft of lesson plan now.

Similarly, the same applies for Ed Psych 2 on Wed. Tonight must 'chiong' the eportfolio. Wednesday also got presentation (in the form of simulation teaching). The few other (3) male students' group already presented last week, so I'll be the only guy dressing up formally. My groups the 1st of the final 2 to present and I'm starting off the presentation. >_< Hope I won't 'kanna' silly/sticky questions from the 'students'.

Then there's still Ed Psych 1 to be done too. 24 hrs per day seems a tat too short at the moment. After all these will still be left with individual assignments. Argggh...

Rant over and back to multitasking. ^_^

why is my heartbeat beating so fast
why am i going crazy
my heart feels like it will burst
i feel crazy
(lol very 'loose' translation)

Go, Go Power Rangers!

2009-10-18T12:29:00.004+08:00

Was planning for my ICT assignment and trying to incorporate animation/game scenarios or characters for my lesson plan which triggered my thoughts on Captain Planet since it was slightly related to the theme of my topic.

And the 'surprise' finding as I was sourcing for Captain Planet related videos, was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Its been years and after watching some related morphing and megazord videos, it seemed as if it was around just recently. It was so 'hot' during my pri sch (p3,4) days. Not to the extent of being an avid fan but besides Doraemon, this was one of the few children-targeted television series I more or less follow. Could still remember every Saturday tuning in at 11am whenever possible/if I remember to, to catch the show.

The morphing part and the part where Rita Repulsa enlarges her monster while the Power Rangers summon their megazords to counter it was the most enticipating part of each episode. Rita throwing that magic wand of hers was such an epic. "Magic wand, make my monster, GROW!" LOL! We audience were always wondering how she find her magic wand back episodes after episodes. :P

The zords were pretty cool too. They were more or less dinosaurs themed 'robots'/machines, each one depicting a certain trait/characteristic, combining to form a megazord.

Feel so young again. Haha! 73 days to being a year, wiser. :P

"It's Your Loss >_< , Not Mine"

2009-10-15T17:44:00.007+08:00

Next 2 weeks plus couldn't come any faster. But with a touch of irony. The kind where on one hand you hope time will be slower so there'll be more time to do what's needed. On the other hand, you just can't wait for it to pass and for everything to get done with.

Being arrowed as team leaders for 3 of the modules, have to be a big bad guy and start 'terrorizing' people and breathing down on their necks now cos the "gan-jiong-ness" still doesn't seem to be there even though dateline is drawing near (can't blame anyone though, cos I'm almost the same ^_^").

Hopefully by end of this wk will get 75% of all 3 done!

~/-=!@#$%^&*()~/-=!@#$%^&*()~/-=!@#$%^&*()~/-=!@#$%^&*()~

Love the lyrics. Very 点到为止。 Just adequate and very rationale thinking there.

And you can pat me on my back
And send me on my way
You'll see me smile
But all the while I'm torn up

And I don't wish you pain (pain)
But I don't wish you well (well)
'Cause you deserve the reign (reign)
To see how it fails

Good Luck Everyone (& Hi Fellow CBs)!

2009-10-07T02:26:00.012+08:00

Heyo everyone,

Here's the print screen of my dedication text in case you missed it. Was only read out towards the last hour of the show (ard 11:20pm++, thought dedication segment was only 9-11pm). LOL. But its the thought that counts, ya? Haha. ^_^ Click on the images to enlarge.

YES 933 Dedication Blog-->

My Dedication Text-->

On a sidenote, quite a pleasant surprise to 'see' other CBs around. The coincidence is they are Singaporeans as well and at least 2 out of the 3 I 'saw' are studying in Secondary school right now.

CB from Siglap Sec-->

CB from Yuying Sec-->

Another CB (might be the same person from one of the above 2 though)-->

(No offence intended. Print screens will be removed immediately upon request. Cheers!)

Finally, good luck once again to everyone involved in PSLE/exams, esp. all CBs (myself included - for my 2 CL papers lasting 2 hrs 30 mins each this Fri - yes that's 5 hours of CL in a day >_<), Sin Yao, Jun Wen, Jasmine, Theng Juay, Li Hua, Ruoshan, Laura, Jean Rong, Zann, Carrine, Cheng You, Huiling, Bella, Shao Wei, Geraldine and Eesuan.

But everything is nothing,
nothing if I ain't got you.
=============================
I wanted it all,
but when I got where I was going,
I forgot about where I've been.

Some Quiz Results

2009-10-05T03:05:00.007+08:00

It's 6 mins past three as I type this post. Lol. Actually, almost exactly an hour ago, I've completed my cover page, content and references for the essay to be handed in today (Mon, 5 Oct) and just finished printing them out. Spent the past 60 odd minutes clearing the mess around the room. Just lazed around by doing some simple quizzes and relaxing the mind before going to sleep.

(What Type Do You Fall For?)
You Fall for the Guy or Girl Next Door Type
You think that people make love too complicated, and what you want in a partner happens to be pretty simple. (Exactly. Why complicate things? ^_^)
You're content with someone who's nice, attractive, honest, and normal. (Normal? LOL.) So how come that's so hard to find?

You are fairly traditional, and you value security in relationships more than most people. It's important for you to find someone loyal.
When you find the right person, you don't expect much from him or her. You're just happy to be together. (Ya. You only expect of others what you yourself think you can achieve.)
=== === === === === === === ===

(What Does Your Birthday Mean?)
You Are a Traditionalist
You're a pretty traditional person. (Yes, I am!) If it's lasted, it's probably good.
You seek stability (Quite true, but most people do, don't they? :P) - both in your career and your romantic relationship.
In return, you're very loyal (Sure my friends will agree. Hehe.) and predictable. Which is usually a good thing. (Glad they added this. Haha.)
Without a partner, you feel lost. Being with someone is very important to you.

Your strength: Your dependability (I see wings growing on my back. LOL)

Your weakness: You hate being alone (Not to the extent of hate. But yes, I like to be with friends and be in company. Love the joy of sharing and chatting. ^_^)

Your power color: Midnight blue

Your power symbol: Shell

Your power month: April
=== === === === === === === ===

(What Grade Should You Teach?)
You Should Teach Fifth Grade (9 - 12 years old)
You are laid back. (Wa, not to extent of laid back la.) You have a great sense of humor and figure "kids will be kids." (Agreed with the kids part. Haha.)
You have a lot of energy and endurance. It is hard for kids to wear you down. (Hmm...)

You're able to roll with a rowdy classroom if you need to, but you also know how to keep students in line. (Don't think I'm successful at this yet, but yes, that's my preferred approach.)
You are flexible and spontaneous. You can throw the whole plan out the window, if you need to.
=== === === === === === === ===

If it's real it will be what it's suppose to be

LIFE = Living In Fear Everday?!?

2009-10-02T20:16:00.005+08:00

We can grumble on about the lows in our lives but we should never complain or compare it. Because there's simply no gauge for that. We tend to compare ourselves with those better off than us. Put it in the nice way and its aiming high. Look at it half empty and you're simply demoralising youself or trying to elude your own vision.

Sometimes, its good to 'stone' and do nothing but reflect. Be thankful. For the air you breath. For the colors in things you see. For anyone who talk to/quarrel with/pass comment on you - because he bothered spending his time on/with you. For everything around you.

Tml is Mid Autumn festival. The full moon signifies family reunion and harmony of people. But again, a 'joke' was chosen to be played at the wrong time (Not that there's ever a correct timing though. The joke shouldn't have ever started.)

Over the past month, Asia have been feeling the impact of the powers of nature.

- Typhoon Ketsana affecting Vietnam and the Philippines
- Earthquake followed by Tsunami at Samoa and American Samoa
- Sumatra Earthquake in Indonesia

If only I haven't been tied down to the things, events, problems and burdens I am now. That way, I could've started what I've always wanted now rather than to wait another 3-5 years (hopefully).

Reminds me of my missed annual blood donation. Gotta get things settled and done with quickly before I can set my mind and time for that.

As the saying goes, "有时候，活着的人，比死去的更痛苦"。 Heartfelt sympathy to both the victims as well as their families and love ones. They may not be physically around but I've no doubt they will be at somewhere, watching over.

Chorus part reminds me of 2 close ones. Wish the times spent could've been longer and more meaningful. Thanks for watching over me and giving me the chance to make it through and redeem myself.

I'm already there
Take a look around
I'm the sunshine in your hair
I'm the shadow on the ground
I'm the whisper in the wind
I'm your imaginary friend
And I know I'm in your prayers
Oh I'm already there

Sweet Dream vs. Beautiful Nightmare

2009-09-30T15:45:00.007+08:00

A couple of days when I happened to hear the radio DJ mention that Beyonce's 'Sweet Dream' had an original version named 'Beautiful Nightmare', I thought it was meant to be a cold joke. Not anymore, after I heard that "original/cover" version by Travis Garland.

Think Beyonce's version 'stole the thunder'. Afterall, 1st impression counts but the two songs are of different perspectives so not too much of 'competition' or conflict there. Nice way of getting the messages through same tune.

Positive outlook vs. Negative past. Take your pick.

Happy Childrens' Day

2009-09-30T12:15:00.004+08:00

Enjoy tml and then get back to working hard, ya? ^_^ Have a blessed and merry Childrens' Day!

No Turning Back

2009-09-28T11:49:00.004+08:00

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn."

"Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain."

Emo times are here again. Can't remember since when, but "I know/understand how you feel" became a line I distant myself from. Can sound like just paying lip service. Simply because you can't. UNLESS you've been through the same (yes, SAME, not even similar - cos everything can be of different degree). Prefer to show support or concern through actions. Similarly, that's the way I prefer in terms of receiving them.

No one will understand what another is going through, although one may sense it. The common saying is don't keep things to yourself, share it, seek advice etc. Unfortunately, life is often not as 'common' as it is. Somethings are better off conquered alone, like it or not.

Made countless turns. Tripped over the many pebbles. Seems to be moving around in a round about. Know there'll be an end to the road (there has to be one!) but seriously can't see it at the moment. There's no turning back. Only direction to move on is forward. Cant' and won't turn my head back.

“车到山前必有路，船到桥头自然直”。 - Hope so!

I've taken my beating
I've shed but im me
I'm strong on the surface
Not all the way through
I've never been perfect
But neither have you

Bye Bye, Crayon Shin-chan. 永别了～

2009-09-22T00:48:00.010+08:00

Mainichi Daily news reported:

A body found at the bottom of a cliff on a mountain in Gunma Prefecture has been identified as that of Yoshito Usui, author of the popular manga “Crayon Shin-chan.”

Police identified the author’s body from dental records. Gunma Prefectural Police said that Usui appeared to have fallen 120 meters from Tomoiwa cliff on Mount Arafune, which straddles Gunma and Nagano Prefectures.

Usui’s camera and his backpack, which contained his cell phone, wallet and some clothing, were found on a slope about 50 meters away.

A climber found the body on Saturday morning, and a Gunma Prefectural Police helicopter lifted it out of the area on Sunday afternoon. An autopsy conducted at Shimonita Police Station concluded that Usui likely died around Sept. 11 after his lungs were crushed from the impact of the fall.

Been engrossed completing my assignments due today that I was late when this news reached me. The last news I came across on Yoshito Usui, author of the manga "Crayon Shin-chan" aka 蜡笔小新，was through Taiwanese news reporting on his disappearance and MIA.

Sad news indeed. How ironic is it, for someone who has provided so much laughter to others, through his work, to pass away through such painful, miserable death. Again, dare I say, life is never fair. Stay positive though.

I'm not exactly an avid fan but the way he portrayed Shin-chan was creative and interesting. Like one of my lecturer previously mentioned, its like an adult's soul in a child's body. He's not dirty-minded. He's not flirty. He's simply curious and sees things a wee bit different from what would've been expected from a child of his age. Usui is a big loss and so is Shin-Chan. Shin-Chan's "butt-dance" will be missed!

R.I.P.，一路好走。

Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.
- Oscar Wilde

=============== =============== ===============

Yea when my world is falling apart
When there's no light to break up the dark
That's when I, I...
I look at you

When the waves
Are flooding the shore and I can't
Find my way home anymore
That's when I, I...
I look at you

You appear just like a dream to me
Just like Kaleidoscope colors that cover me
All I need, every breath that I breathe
Don't you know
You're beautiful...

1 Down 3 To Go

2009-09-17T18:23:00.007+08:00

1 assignment cleared. 3 to go. 2 to clear by this wk. Looking forward to completion and recess week for some much needed break and time for revision in preparation for test the week after as well. Gambatte!!! >_< (DBSK/Tohoshinki/東方神起/동방신기: Why Did I Fall In Love With You)

English Lyrics :
Why did I end up falling for you?
No matter how much time has passed,
I thought that you would always be here
But you have chosen a different road

Why wasnt I able to convey to you?
My feelings that were growing everyday and night
The words begin to overflow
But I know they wont reach you now

From the first day that I met you
I felt like I knew you
And the two of us melded together so naturally

Wherever we would go, it would be together
It was so natural for you to be with me
We became adults together
But you chose a different road

Why did I end up falling for you?
No matter how much time has passed,
I thought that you would always be here (but not anymore)

Today, the day that holds a special meaning
The day that you stood with a smile of happiness
Praying to God in your beautiful appearance

With the person next to you who isnt me
The image of you receiving blessings
How could I just stand aside and watch

So why did I end up falling for you?
We cant go back to that time, or how we were (Ive thought it through)

Why wasnt I able to take your hand?
No matter how much time passes
You always shouldve been by my side
Now it will never come true

But, even though I say that I need you close to me
I just pray that you will be happy forever
No matter how lonely that makes me (or how sad)

Life is... ...

2009-09-08T19:19:00.006+08:00

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.

- Mother Teresa

So 'Drama' Yet So Real

2009-09-04T11:59:00.005+08:00

Today marks the end of my MIA. It's been quite some time since I turn to this 'method' to ease my emo-ness and soothe my mood. The past 10-14 days have been pretty frustrating. Really 'it's like one step forward and two steps back'. But hey, like the saying goes, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'.

Been indulging myself in songs, both old and new. This one reminds me of a 'dilemma' which I found myself in years ago - of cos not to the extent of what Jay Zhou 'did' (>_<")!

If you've been in a similar/same situation before, this song will pretty much click with you (actually most of his songs does, cos they each tell a story). If you haven't before, then pray that it'll never happen to you!

The ending I met up with wasn't the same as the one in his MV though. Not that I'm regretting/despairing over. Sometimes, things are best left the way they are. You don't have to grab and hold it in your palms to know you 'own' it.

缓缓飘落的枫叶像思念
我点燃烛火温暖岁末的秋天
极光掠夺天边
北风掠过想你的容颜
我把爱烧成了落叶
却换不回熟悉的那张脸

~~~~

缓缓掉落的枫叶像思念
为何挽回要赶在冬天来之前
爱你穿越时间
两行来自秋末的眼泪
让爱渗透了地面
我要的只是你在我身边

SW: Dedication To You

2009-09-01T10:05:00.008+08:00

Ello! Back briefly from MIA to stay true to my words and dedicate a song as promised.

I was deciding between 断了的弦 and 安静. Decided on this cos I think this one has more depth than the former, and feel it fits you better too.

Also choose CL song since (you claim) your CL is good. LOL. Refer to the chinese lyrics ba. Afterall, its the origin and the words are really simple yet meaningful. ENG translation was provided by poster of the video (and helps if you can't catch what some lines are saying).

Not all things require detailed analysis and explaination. Think (and hope) you already got my point. May each breathe of yours feel lighter now. Smilezzz *_^/~

只剩下钢琴陪我谈了一天
睡著的大提琴安静的旧旧的
Only piano is left here and it spent a whole day talking with me.
The cello that's been sleeping is silent and worn.

我想你已表现的非常明白
我懂我也知道你没有舍不得
I think you have made it very clear (for me) to understand.
I am aware and know too that there is no reluctance in you.

你说你也会难过我不相信
牵著你陪著我也只是曾经
希望他是真的比我还要爱你
我才会逼自己离开
You said that you will feel completely broken-heart too, but I don't believe it.
Though I used to hold your hands and spent time together, it was all history.
I hope that he really loves you more than I ( still) do, only then can I force myself to leave you.

你要我说多难堪我根本不想分开
为什么还要我用微笑来带过
我没有这种天份包容你也接受他
不用担心的太多我会一直好好过
You want a farewell, but I simply do not want to end this relationship.
Why do you expect me to brush it off with a smile and pretend like nothing has happened?
I don't have special talent like this, embracing you and accepting him.
Don't worry too much about me, I'll survive and live well.

你已经远远离开我也会慢慢走开
为什么我连分开都迁就著你
我真的没有天份安静的没这么快
我会学著放弃你是因为我太爱你
You have drifted further and further away (from me), and I will also walk away (from your life) slowly.
Why do I even have to give in to you regarding our parting of ways? I haven't got such special ability, to soothe (in silence) that quick.
I will learn to give you up and that is because I love you so.

Can't Let It Bring Me Down

2009-08-27T02:18:00.008+08:00

Can't wait for time to pass on and the new week to arrive quickly. Hope things move on smoothly asap. Meanwhile, take care of both health and studies at the same time. Prelims are ending in the blink of an eye. Sorry for not being in the mood to send individual well-wishes but thoughts are with all of you. Good luck and all the best (to myself too.)

"It's like one step forward and two steps back
... ... ...
I know it's like trying to turn around on a one way street
... ... ...
And it's killing me"

"No, it's never enough to say I try
... ... ...
There's still time to turn this around"

Good MVs - Nickelback's "Someday"

2009-08-20T16:03:00.005+08:00

Excellent Video... Ehmm yes, its my 'favourite' sad type of story again. ^_^" But hey, it does have a 'nice' ending - depending on how you look at it.

Initially you would've thought they were in some kind of disagreement or quarrel but actually the girl's frustration is over her beau's death. Very artistic and movie/drama like way to bring across the content/story.

The way the director tries to hint to you something is 'wrong' with the guy is pretty good. Things like there's only 1 pair of footstep after both parties stepped across the puddle of milk, the absence of any reflection in the rear view mirror as the girl was adjusting it - when in fact the guy was chasing from behind etc (there's some sort of mini-spoiler at the beginning where the newspaper on the table is half-folded where you can't make out the complete news headline). To be honest I was pretty slow to, got enlightened thanks to the various comments from Youtubers. :P

It achieved what music videos ought to, imo, i.e. to bring out/stress/emphasize the feel/mood of the lyrics in the song.

I was trying to relate the mv to the one of the main lines in the chorus of the song "Someday, somehow gonna make it alright", and I think these 2 netizen's pov are pretty true:

"ok and as for the meaning i watched the video again was confused until the very end. this song is about a relationship that ends in horror..but someday when they meet back together things are alright.. and in the video that is when they are both dead"

"In a sense, I think the song does go along with the video.
In the video he is blind as to what has happened (him being dead) and thinks she is just completely ignoring him. And that someday came true when she died and they got to make it right.
In the song they are blind and let things get worse.
Like I said kind of by the idea but not completely. "

"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter"

2009-08-18T17:39:00.010+08:00

Call be superstitious, call be old-fashioned, call me sadist (ehm, come to think of it not extreme to that stage la. LOL).

1st, I believe in reincarnation (前世、今生、来世). Secondly I believe in fate (as in 缘+分). Thirdly, I like sad stories/endings.

Therefore, 仙剑奇侠传, besides attracting players like me with its RPG game play, was successful in capturing the hearts of many, due to its rich story line. It was one of the most renowned Chinese RPG game back in 1990 something and the subsequent sequels were pretty successful as well. IMO, 仙剑1 was still the best, followed by 仙剑3 and 仙剑4. 仙剑2 was too brief and 'shallow'.

It's story line and theme was such a success that it become the 1st case whereby a drama serial was shot based on a game （usually more a case of games published to suit to a certain drama/movie craze）.

Haven't manage to catch 仙剑3 yet but based on what I've read and heard, think should be to my taste, even though there is apparently quite a tweak to the original story line. Don't think its a coincidence that the endings in these 仙剑 series are all 'incomplete' and far from the typical 'happily ever after' type of finale. Think the author/director agree with the point that life is seldom/never smooth going and we're bound to meet up with obstacles, of which, many of times, we might not be able to overcome.

That's the reason why I kind of prefer sad endings/stories. Firstly cos it reflects the realistic side of life, and also because it acts as a reminder for one to appreciate things/relationship while in one's hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like the lyrics on one of the songs from the drama series' O.S.T., esp. a line from the chorus.

回头看，不曾走远，依依目光此生不换

(明明知道不可以相爱，可是心里却放不下彼此的依恋，不能再厮守在一起，只能离开，却不愿意走远，只求可以遥遥的看着对方，看着对方开心，快乐。)

How pure and unconditional that is!

开学、生命、累了

2009-08-14T21:40:00.012+08:00

开学咯 - 希望这平稳的开始不是暴风雨前的平静。

Finally embarked on a new start this week.

Thanks to National Day, the sch wk was a short one. Mon-Wed are pretty packed, esp. Wed, with last lesson ending at 7.30pm. Weird timing for that module. 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Earlier than that and the meal will be like tea. After that and it'll be towards supper, esp. by the time I've reached Boon Lay interchange. Heavy lunch's not advisable since there's only 2 one hour breaks in btw 8 periods of lessons. Dieting day then - for the 'longest' study day (argh...) of the wk.

Thur is really short, just 2 hours of lessons. Friday? "Lagi" better. OFF. Wee~! That said, issues that are affected cos of previous 3 wkdays' schedule/time table will have to be moved on to these 2 days, plus I'm sure these 2 days will end up being used for project work meet ups later on in the semester. Oh well, just enjoy it while I can.

I must admit I was pretty unsure of how things will be, cos firstly, its a completely different course of study, a higher lvl, and felt my mind's a little rusty, having last (truly) been a student 2-3 yrs ago. I was in for a pleasant surprise though. Lessons were interesting. Am glad I made the right choice (at least that's the way I see it, right up to this point). I may not be an expert in this field, but at least with that interest and thirst to learn and find out more, I guess it'll make up for it. Still quite a long way to go though, just hope this isn't a false dawn. Fingers crossed!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

生命 - 一份上天赐给父母/我们的珍贵礼物？还是一份上天跟我们开的玩笑？

Life is so fragile. Not that I only got to find out now or recently. But its a point of view (pov) that people may constantly lose sight of, until something happens. After Sir Bobby Robson, another footballing man has passed away - Daniel Jarque of Espanyol. Its alledgely a sudden heart failure, while he was on the phone with his fiancee.

Abrupt news of his death was shocking, what puts things further into pespective is that this has happened to a professional sportsman (of cos, there were several other similar cases like Antonio Puerta and Marc-Vivien Foe). Anything can happen anything. Really. There are more than enough reasons/examples for one to believe in this. Life is brittle, it is. And, it can be cruel and is (more often than not,) short (not in terms of individual age, but what you achieve/fail to/mistakes you spend time rectifying).

Such news are always depressing. What is going to happen to his fiancee and that 7-8mth old unborn baby? He was on the verge of international stardom (I'm quite sure he would've grew into a regular player for Spain), setting up a beautiful family and this has to happen. God/Heaven knows best? Sorry, I beg to differ.

As if trying to emphasize this point of how weak life is and to get the point across, this Taiwan typhoon has to come. R.I.P to everyone who have been cruelly snatched off their next view of daylight, and my sincerest well wishes for victims affected/still awaiting rescue. Stay strong. Hang in there. These words are cheap, but thoughts are really with all of you. May God bless all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

累了 - ‘如果’和‘重来’这两个字在我脑海里的词典渐渐消失了。

真的累了。知道我没有资格说着两个字。纯粹在对自己发泄而已。

天作孽犹可违；自作孽不可活（上天降下的灾害还可以逃避；自己造成的罪孽可就无处可逃。）。这点我很清楚。

知道这条路总有尽头。唯一的未知数，是何时才能看得到，以及到达。我会继续相信。我必须这么做。

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I do not need a reason to be angry with God." - excerpt from movie, A Walk to Remember, staring Shane West and Mandy Moore

我不是一定要 "你" 回来

2009-08-07T22:22:00.006+08:00

（Substitute that "你" with whatever you treasured lots but lost/lose grip on.）

At 1st impression upon hearing, you'll associate the song and lyrics with 'losing' THAT special one. But on seeing this background story, it does knock a little bit of sense into you and act as a gentle reminder there are many other types of L.O.V.E./'treasures' hovering around us. Read on...

这首創作，是描写『失去』的一首歌，细微地勾勒情感离的惆怅與心酸。

一次一场探訪癌症病童的活动，当時徐佳瑩和参访者置身于小朋友、家属和医护人员中，氣氛热络温馨，其中一位护理长恳请她現场演唱之前比賽時表演過的「失落沙洲」，这首歌让护理长听了直落淚的原因，是因为其中一段歌词「我不是一定要你回來，只是当又把回憶翻開，除了你之外的空白，还有谁能來教我愛。」

深刻地唱出了那些失去孩子們的家心声，而這也让徐佳瑩对这首歌產生新的体验。基与各种不同的感受交杂，「失落沙洲」是专辑裡演唱难度最高的一首歌曲，「虽然初始动机是失去爱情，但在演唱時就會不断想到那些，也许是失去親人，也许是失去任何一些重要的东西的人，我貪心的希望它能包含更多的追憶。」

徐佳瑩以其圆润清亮的声线，完美诠释歌曲中「面對失去的悲伤」、于「接受失去的遗憾」的思绪转折。

Farewell But Not Goodbye

2009-08-02T11:16:00.007+08:00

Sir Bobby Robson lost his fight against his 5th bout of cancer, on 31st Jul 09, at the age of 76.

(Fitting tribute from another legend of his own right, Sir Alex Ferguson -->)
"In my 23 years working in England there is not a person I would put an inch above Bobby Robson," he said. "I mourn the passing of a great friend; a wonderful individual; a tremendous football man and somebody with passion and knowledge of the game that was unsurpassed.

"I was never too big or proud to ask him for advice which he gave freely and unconditionally. And I'm sure I am speaking for a lot of people when I say that.

"The strength and courage he showed over the past couple of years when battling against his fifth bout of cancer was indescribable. Always a smile; always a friendly word with never a mention of his own problems. The world, not just the football world, will miss him. Let's hope it won't be long before another like him turns up because we could never get enough of them."

My interest in soccer, and back then, English Premier League, in particular, started off pretty late. It backdated to my Secondary school days.

I was mainly following only Liverpool, who were managed by Gerard Houllier then. However, there were a few other managers whom I got to know about, mainly for their achievements and the type of football they preached - Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Sir Bobby Robson.

I may be wrong, but I always had the impression that people tend to associate Newcastle with 'gung ho', all-out-attack style of football. The kind of team who think, if you scored 2, we're going to score 3 to win the match. Arsene Wenger, nicknamed 'The Professor', was renowned for having his team play attacking football, but I think its fair to say that the same can be said of Sir Bobby Robson. Perhaps, the only 'injustice' was that his Newcastle side did not have a defence that was strong enough to win games more resounding.

It's a pity that I've never seen his Ipswich, PSV, Sporting Lisbon, FC Barcelona and England side played. (I'm too young for that!) However, what I remember of his Newcastle team, was a joy to watch. They play positive football at high tempo, good pace and wing play. Before he joined Newcastle, they were languishing in midtable. Yet, he managed 3 top 5 finishes in his last 3 season with them (4th, 3rd and 5th). He was unfortunately, sacked in 2004 because of failure to qualify for Champions League (min 4th spot required). Look at where Newcastle are now. Relegated from the EPL and a team in turmoil at the moment.

I was looking at the videos on BBC Sport and Skysports and it was no coincidence that in the tributes paid to him by former colleagues, players and friends, the words associated with him most often were "passion", "enthusiasm", "gentleman" and "genuine".

He set up a foundation raising funds for cancer research, cos he wanted to repay those who saved him and give something back to the society. Even till 3-4 days before his death, he was still on working his course for the foundation, making an appearance at St. James Park in a match that was staged to raise money for his charity, The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Sir Bobby will not only be missed as a footballing legend, but also as the gentleman knight, around the world. R.I.P.

(Listen to the crowd's ovation and chanting, from 4min onwards. I was saddened to see Sir Bobby in this frail state. The typical warmth and humour seemed to be missing. But I'm sure deep inside, the enthusiasm and generosity was still fighting strong. If you truly love something, devote yourself to it. Never stop trying. Attitude is often much more important than end product. And remember, treat others with respect and dignity, and [more often than not] they will do the same.)

Thanks For The Memories

2009-07-28T22:50:00.018+08:00

Monday, 27th Jul 2009 was officially my last day at KHS. It had been an interesting 1 yr 4mth +/- stay there. I encountered all sorts of experiences and had the privilege to teach all levels, and some really interesting classes and pupils.

It's hard to summarize all that I've been through or met up with over those 16 odd months. I'll break them down via my main feelings -->

==============

Awkwardness: It was 'funny' interacting with the P1s and P2s initially. For my height and size, I appeared like a giant to them. Thankfully, by the time I arrived at the school, it was after term 1, i.e. Mar 08. I guessed if I came in at the same time as they did, I would properly have scared the freak out of them. LOL. I still remember how I tried to 'appear' nicer, by lowering my tone (given my usual loud voice) and 'tuning' to a more friendly (or should I say childish? :P) voice.

==============

Disappointment: I was left hugely disappointed at not being able to take over a CL class of my own for the 2nd half of 2008. Main reason behind that was because it was thought that my further studies will begin in July '08 and that I will leave the school shortly after returning from Jun '08 holidays. Therefore it would have been disruptive if I were to be assigned a class, only to leave after barely a month or 2's time.

==============

Interesting: I think I can quite safely say that I'm one of the only/few CL teachers who had experience of teaching other subjects. Yes, teach, not just relief the period. I remember hearing from a P2 form teacher how her class marveled that "陈老师很厉害。他会讲/教英文!" after standing in for her for a day. LOL. These kids can be so naive. They actually think CL teachers can only speak CL or have a low command of ENG. :P

Math topic I covered on included money and solving problem sums using diagrams. Science topic were mainly on living things and energy. My shortest stint of non-CL lesson was Music. Only one period. LOL. Remember it was near National Day and taught P2 class Stephanie Sun's and Kit Chan's songs.

Longest stint for non-CL lesson has got to be Social Studies. Originally meant to take over for 2 wks, my spell as a P5 and P6 SS teacher was extended by another 1-2 wks cos of fellow colleagues medical leave extension. Guess my SS classes will remember me for all my flow charts and diagrams which I used for lesson explaination and their notes taking.

Oh, before I forget, I took P5 Health Ed during the time when I relieved for SS too.

==============

Fun: There were some interesting and nice characters around - ranging from colleagues to students. Life was never dull in school. Once in a while you do get the odd routine day but with conversations/interactions amongst colleagues, CCAs, lessons etc. there were always ups and downs. I will remember the kids from P1/5 and P1/6 of 2008 for they were my 1st encounter with classes in KHS. Its heartening that even after a year, they still greated me or called my name from afar whenever they see me in sch, with the same enthusiasm. ^_^

My '08 P6 SS classes were a nice bunch. I can't say they are the super 乖 type. :P I mean its normal for them to try a bit of mischief upon seeing a new face, a 'part timer' (since they knew I'm not taking over for permanent) and let alone, a CL teacher teaching SS. But they were co-operative and fun-loving. I'm all for jokes and humour, to the right limit/extent and I would like to think that these students' characteristics helped played a part in making my SS lessons not as plain and boring as it might have been.

P5/7 '08 was my favourite class, no doubt. And till date, it still is (i.e. P6/9 '09). Again they are not the super 乖 type. They can be cheeky. They can be loud. They can be mischevious. They can be funny. They can be disobedient at times. But that's the 'child' in them. They have never showed defiance. They just express themselves the way they prefer/want to. They called and gave me a nick which I'm got known for in sch but I could always felt the respect they show, both as a teacher and friend. Like I told the class on my last day in sch, one thing I like about them is them being themselves (of course, without overstepping the boundary).

[Thanks for the fun photo taking session too! ^_^ Will load the pics to Facebook acc - which I've been lazy to maintain for ages. LOL.]

P6/1 '08 was another nice class. It was a pity I couldn't know them better/earlier. They were such a studious class but in no way were they nerdy. LOL. They enjoyed their PE lessons and what more can a PE teacher ask for? In a way, they are really the type who work hard and play hard. Never had a problem conducting PE lessons with their class.

==============

Apologetic: I feel sorry for my PE classes. Yeah, I really do. I'm not trained in this field, so for my lessons, I don't conduct activities like teaching 'new' games such as rugby, hockey, floorball etc. That meant my PE classes were usually playing ball games - soccer, basketball, captains ball etc. Thankfully, majority of them enjoy playing these games but I still feel guilty because if they have had another PE teacher, they would be able to experience new games/activities.

==============

Only told some closer students when my last day was, but the form teacher of my P4 CL class actually informed them about my pending departure so I was greeted with well wishes and messages of thanks such as “陈老师，谢谢你叫我们读书。” from those kids. The feeling was a little funny cos in class they can be quite mischievous. Out of a sudden, they appear so polite and sensible. LOL. They were also pretty thoughtful and creative, creating cards/crafts as group gifts for me (e.g. each card is from multiple students).

Also received a card with wishes from my colleagues from CL department - both AM and PM sessions. It was a nice touch of gesture and I certainly did not see it coming. They have been really helpful and friendly along the way and I have never felt out of place working, talking, joking and gossiping with them. LOL. And dare say, the CL department is one really united family. ^_^

And some other tokens from other students (sorry if I never post photo of those you gave me, cos there were quite a lot so couldn't post all up). Others included items such as Famous Amos cookies, Toblerone chocolate, basketball and notepad.

Okieee, shall end my looonggg post here. As per the topic, thanks for the memories. I will/should be back to visit all of you. Wait for (and don't forget) me, ya? :P Meanwhile, take care, work hard and best wishes!!! ^_^ Will miss ya all! Till we meet again!

What A Team Talk!

2009-07-26T12:30:00.004+08:00

(It's an excerpt from the movie "Any Given Sunday" by coach Tony D'Amato, portrayed by actor Al Pacino)

More about the movie dated 1999, here (wiki).

Transcript of the video -->

I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team or we’re gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, 'til we’re finished.

We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here -- get the shit kicked out of us -- or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell one inch at a time.

Now, I can’t do it for you. I’m too old. I look around. I see these young faces, and I think -- I mean -- I made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I, uh, I pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me. And lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know, when you get old in life things get taken from you. I mean that's...part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small -- I mean one-half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it. One-half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it.

The inches we need are everywhere around us.

They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch, because we know when we add up all those inches that’s gonna make the f*ckin' difference between winning and losing! Between livin' and dyin'!

I’ll tell you this: In any fight, it’s the guy who’s willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m gonna have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willin' to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what livin' is! The six inches in front of your face!!

Now I can’t make you do it. You got to look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes! Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You're gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows, when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him!

That’s a team, gentleman!

And, either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.

That’s football guys.

That's all it is.

Now, what are you gonna do?

Impossible Is Nothing

2009-07-20T23:34:00.005+08:00

Last than 7 days left already. Time really flies! Take away wkend and one day's absence for registration matters and that's 4. Don't be absent from school on my last day, ok? Take photos and bid goodbye. *_^

Liverpool's match vs. Singapore is this coming Sunday! Besides being influence by my bro, one main reason behind my support for LFC is it really makes you feel like part of the one big family. The club's actions and way of carrying out itself sticks to its motto of "You'll Never Walk Alone". This is in no small part ofreference to the fans who lost their lives in 2 of football's greatest club disasters, which LFC, was coincidentally involved in - Heysel 1985 and Hillsborough 1989. IMO, despite its success in both England and Europe, its has never portrayed itself that cocky 'Big Brother' amongst the footballing scene (unlike, say, the Man Utd/Real Madrid of today).

2 landmarks of recent years that remain vividly stucked in my mind are the treble season under Gerard Houllier and the amazing, 'miraculous' comeback in Champions League Final under Rafael Benitez. Besides the clear resolution of the compliation, another thing I like about this video is the appropriate use of the instrumental pieces - Requiem of A Dream (0:00 - 1:45) and Europa (1:46 - 4:38).

Welcome to Singapore, LFC! And bring on season 09/10!

(Liverpool FC vs. AC Milan - Impossible is Nothing)

Believe - In Me & With Me

2009-07-14T23:15:00.004+08:00

You really gotta. No matter how big or small the matter is. There's a will, there's a way.

There are so many times I'd wanted/at least thought about/could have given up. But life is a lot more complicated than just saying yes or no, or, choosing between options. There are many more implications.

One thing I do know is if I had stopped believing, I won't be able to sit here and make this post, right here, right now. This particular issue had been, has been and is lingering in the mind now. It's not going to be settled within a blink of an eye. And obviously it won't get any easier by simply believing. But at least, by believing, there's something for me to look forward to, even if I'm just one small step closer to get it done and dusted with.

I'm not praying for miracles. Neither am I hoping for solutions. I believe and I am working towards them. I may have gotten lost along the way, or took longer routes instead, but I BELIEVE, even if not everyone does.

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

Trust, Faith, Tolerance & Determination

2009-07-07T22:47:00.006+08:00

These are the 4 words I would use to sum up the past 2 weeks.

Before I go on, I just want to thank everyone around me who have showed support, care and concern in every bit of way, be it minute, small, big or large.

(Edit: Got asked/sounded from some about farewell tokens/gifts, coincidentally from a couple on the same day. Thanks for the thought, appreciate it. Don't need to bother, ok? Seriously. Nice knowing your thoughts. Don't waste the $. If really want to give me something than just a card will do, ok? For memory sake. ^_^)

A pat on the shoulder (note: not a tickle or 'slap' from the back, okie?), a smile as we walk pass each other, a little conversation/joke/gossip that we share, a greeting even as you saw me from afar and even a tag on the tag board!

Simply cos you bothered spending time on me. ^_^ Even for a split second, yes. It showed I have a place in your heart, be it as a friend, buddy, teacher, colleague etc.

I am an emo and sentimental guy so these kind of small things go a long way towards touching me and warming my heart. Thanks soooo much and do remember to keep them coming! ^_*/~

Let's start off with the latter 2. Tolerance and determination. I used to have a scroll with a big "忍" on it, hanging near my bedside, cos its one of the 1st I received as a gift, during my sec school years. It has the small letters "知足常乐、能忍自安" by the side. I love it cos in life not everything goes your way so many a times, you have to adapt/tolerate a.k.a. tahan. If you think negatively, its submission, giving in to situation. But if you look on the other side of the coin, then its a test of one's own character as well as 'solving' problems in a more creative way. In the midst of it, you may stand to gain more than you lose. It had a sorry fate though. Cos of a bad and dark patch in my life, she felt it was inauspicious and threw it away... ...

This 忍耐 and 决心 thingy resurfaced in my mind cos towards the end of last month I caught an episode of the repeat telecast of 《卧薪藏胆》. It triggered my thoughts and led me to searching for more on the main lead, King of Yue kingodm, Gou Jian (勾践). Found another drama on the same story online and having been watching it (abt 23 more episodes to go) on tudou.com.

The gist of the story is: Gou Jian of Yue killed Fu Chai's father during a war, Fu Chai, who succeeded his father as King of Wu, took revenge 3 yrs later after emerging victorious in his expedition against the traditionally weaker Yue.

Gou Jian surrendered and served as a slave under Fu Chai in Wu for 3 yrs before being released. During this period, he suffered all soughts of ill fate and did all soughts of things to 'numb' Fu Chai's feelings in a bid to win his trust. One of the acts involve tasting of his faeces. Yes, as in 吃大便. More of 尝 than 吃 though.

He plotted and masterminded a revenge 20 yrs later (after reforms within his country, preparation etc.) During this period, he self-inflicted hardship of sleeping on bed made of sticks and branches, as well as tasted gall bladder daily, using the bitterness to remind himself the taste of defeat and humiliation as well as reaffirm his desire for revenge- both self and national.

卧薪藏胆: "Later, people use it to describe one who endures self-imposed hardships to strengthen one's resolve to realize one's ambition."

Now to the last part on faith and trust. Ehmmm to cut it short (realise my post is getting super long as I type ^_^"), its been sometime since I felt such a high degree of trust and faith shown in me by someone. Its hard to put in words. More of something you can feel than describe. I can really sense the person's faith in entrusting the responsibility to me - its more than intuition, you just know it when you do, besides with the person being such an honourable guy, there can never be a tinge of hypocrispy in his actions.

Based on previous experience, I know that trust once broken, NEVER can and NEVER will be mended. It will never be 100% again. Even if its 99%, that remaining 1% of doubt can mean so much. Therefore, just want to let him know I really appreciate it, will do my best in what's entrusted (even though he's not a superior) and that he has really earned my respect (very much so in the past, even more so after this). This has gotta be one of the few things that brightened up my past 1.5 wks.

R.I.P. King of Pop

2009-06-26T12:36:00.005+08:00

Can't believe he was 50. Controversial character he may be, but you can't deny his talent and its hard not to sympathise with his "tragic".

R.I.P. Michael Joseph Jackson
(August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

MSNBC's slideshow tribute on MJ (LINK)

Jermaine Jackson, brother: "My brother, the legendary king of pop, Michael Jackson passed away on Thursday June 25th 2009 at 2.26pm. It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home.

"Our family requests that the media please requests our privacy at this tough time. And may Allah be with you Michael, always. Love you."

Reverend Al Sharpton, civil rights campaigner and close friend: "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of colour way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama."

MJ's signature moonwalk dance -->

(The moonwalk or backslide is a dance technique that presents the illusion that the dancer is stepping forward whilst actually moving backward. The dance move gained widespread popularity after being performed by Michael Jackson on the 1983 television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, and was considered his signature move. The moonwalk has since become the best known dance move in the world.)

Counting Down

2009-06-23T16:49:00.006+08:00

Less than 1 month to go already. How time flies! Really ought to live and enjoy each moment as it comes and past. 1 year stay became 2 years. Alas, had it not been as such, wouldn't have experienced lots more and wouldn't have known the many people whom I do now.

There have been many ups and downs, surprises, joys, despair/disappointment and new findings along the way but at least one thing for sure and has been consistent is the liking, desire and belief. Never looked back ever since making the 1st step. Never did, never will.

On a sidenote, heard this 'old' song the other day during the treat at Swensen's with Andrea, Jean Rong, Li Hua and Shinnie (by alphabetical order ok, see I'm very fair and unbias). This song's about 2 years old already, quite surprised Shinnie knew the title when I couldn't recall and was asking about it. "Breathless" by X-Factor winner, Shayne Ward.

He's so seductive in the music video for this song, even I'm attracted. LOL! (Hey don't get me wrong, ok?). Look at the lip syncing and the eyes. Wow! Like the rhythm, like the chorus, like the soft voice and the high pitch. *_*/~

"New Divide" Official Music Video

2009-06-19T13:45:00.003+08:00

Linkin Park's MV for "New Divide" is out!

Ehmm won't say its 'nice'. More like suitable and appropriate (for a theme song of the movie Transformers)?

Enjoy!

如果我变成回忆

2009-06-14T13:22:00.033+08:00

(P.S. View blog in IE. Dunno why font looks distorted in FF. X_X)

Faced with the threat of seeing his life claimed by hereditary heart disease (遗传性心脏病), Tank's new song <<如果我变成回忆>> is a 情歌 on the surface but the gist of it was the helplessness he feels in having no control over his own health, as well as life and death (无法掌控自己身体与生命的无奈).

Tank's 如果我变成回忆 Music Video feat. (Huiling's fav) 大东 Jiro Wang

Here's a loose translation for some of my favourite lines from the song:

“如果我变成回忆，退出了这场生命，
(If I were to become memory, and retreat from this game of life,)

留下你错愕哭泣，我冰冷身体，拥抱不了你，
(leaving you drenched in tears, my frozen cold body, can hold
you no more)

想到我让深爱的你，人海孤独旅行，我会恨自己如此狠心。
(to think how I've let my beloved you, wander alone in a sea of people, I will hate myself for being so heartless)”

And because his sister actually passed away in her sleep (it prompted him to add the lyrics listed below, in the song), and revealed that at a particular
stage of his treatment, it was the doctor's encouragement that reminded him to treasure life, instead of choosing the easier way out and giving up.

“好怕一放心睡了，
(Worried that once I fall asleep soundly,)

心跳在梦中不听话的就停止了,
(and the heart refuse to obey and stops beating;)

我还能珍惜什么，如果我连自己的脉搏都难掌握
(what else is there for me to treasure, if I can't even control
my own pulse)”

Treasure life. Treasure love - of all sorts. Kinship (with family members), friendship (with friends and buddies), partnership (with your 'one and only'). Life is that unpredictable.

记得, 要珍惜哦! (当然也要包括珍惜我这个朋友/老师, ok?)
Lol, 真够不要脸的球老师 (>_<)

Important Long Message For You. Yes, You.

2009-06-10T20:23:00.008+08:00

So, where do I start? Ok, I'm not one for beating about the bush, so lets get straight to the point. This is especially meant for one particular student, but its also something I would like to share with everyone else.

1. Responsibility
- For self and others. Put some thought into it. Be responsibile for one's own action cos one have the ultimate control of one's own decision making/course of action. Do not forget too that we are usually, if not, never alone. Any decision/action will affect someone else (regardless of quantity or importance).

2. Honesty
- Committing mistake(s) is one issue. Admitting to it/them is another. Simiple scenario: "Pupil A claims that he forgot to bring his homework. Actual truth is he forgot/failed to complete it. How would you feel if you find out the truth? Not doing/completing is already one wrong." Not admitting/giving the real reason is another. Two wrongs does not make one right. As the lyrics goes "Truth hurts and lies worse" (>_<).

3. Appreciation/Apology
- Yes, its very easy to say these words. "Sorry", "Apologies", "Thank you", "Thanks" etc. They cost nothing. But (a) that alone still works wonders. It's definitely better (even by 0.01%) than saying nothing at all. Besides, (b) with that extra/special tinge of sincerity, it will be really heartwarming.

4. Treasure
- Only 'cats have 9 lives'. One can be lucky, one can be blessed. But it can simply take one incident/event to put you down, and I mean really DOWN. Learn to treasure. Don't take things for granted. Someone can help you one time. Another can save you in another instance. But there's no outright rule in this world stating that every trouble/problem you have can/will be solved/rectified by others.

====================================

Reflecting/sharing some of my beliefs:

1. Everyone deserves a chance. I feel I ought to give everyone a chance, irregardless of the (similar type of?) chances others may have given. However, show disregard for it and you can be sure that will be the one and only.

2. I am rarely angry (feeling or showing strong resentment). I would say I tend to feel disappointed (depressed or discouraged by the failure of one's hope or expectations) more often instead. And I am not petty, ok?. Haha. I just want time to cool down and reflect if necessary.

3. I can be a 烂好人 at times. Some may criticise me for that. Some may think I deserve what I may potentially get for helping the "undeserved". Alas, besides standing by my belief that people learn from mistakes, I tend to help/assist in the hope of them learning something from it, no matter big or small. Similar to if I tell someone of or if I express my disappointment on certain issue. I have only one simple wish. That someone understood or tried to understand what went wrong (even if its just one minor point), instead of pointing fingers or brush things off.

As I type this long post, I realised and recalled my many own failings in these areas as well. These are obviously very potential pitfalls one may/will encounter.

Therefore, I would like to stress again, I am not trying to put anyone down or portray myself as a good guy or hero. Self-proclaimed/crowned titles are of no use.

I just pray and hope for one thing - that majority, if not all parties (esp. the main lead) involved, take away something positive (eg. new lesson learnt/values revisited).

I really do. In short, just hope help/assistance/sacrifice does not go down in vain.

My impression of you has started of with a clean slate now. I hope what I've done is worth it. Take inspiration from Linkin Park's "What I've Done".
That's a sweetener good enough for me, already.

For what I’ve done
I start again
And whatever pain may come
Today this ends
I’m forgiving what I’ve done!!!

Cheers. (That's all for the rant and moral teaching. Haha. *_^)

Packed Yet Fulfilling Week

2009-05-23T01:24:00.009+08:00

Brief summary of the past week (but long post, haha :P):

- Went out with 3 students/bros/little evil boys/小(色)鬼（*delete where appropriate. - option of selecting everything is acceptable too.）for lunch. Basically, I got bullied (all the way, yes - through, there and fro >_<"). Alas, it was good fun, nice get-together. Looking forward to more of the same (with others too), if possible (minus the bullying, of course!)

- Received THE letter at the beginning of the wk. Really made my day. Been waiting for it for ages, with mixture of fear and anxiety. Thank God.

- Received form for P4 Captain's Ball competition yesterday. Dateline for submission of names is coming Tuesday. Have got the personnels in mind but yet to confirm. Thinking of main strategies and basic formation. It'll be a 7 a side (4 boys, 3 girls) + 3 subs (which can only be sent in during the 1 min break in games of 2x5mins). One thing for sure is I am going to activate all 3 subs. I'm leanning towards a counter attacking system based on a fast start with gradually increased ball possession. The 3 subs and the 3 starters who are replaced will play a massive role in ensuring the tactics work. Since I have 2 P4 classes and there's a total of 8 in sch, there's 25% chances of winning (that's if we don't take into consideration other factors la. haha.). I'm desperate for both classes to come in top 3, 1stly cos it'll be an achievement (no matter how big or small) and good memory (that can be added to their pri sch life) for the kids themselves, 2ndly cos I believe you're in it to win it and thirdly I'll like to leave on a winning note (still remember my P6 and P5 classes in '08 doing themselves proud in Captain's Ball and Dodge Ball competition - full credit to them). Will try to make use of free periods next wk to help train/drill them. This is one thingy I enjoy. That's y I dun mind the nick of "球老师". Lol. (Although if I'm not mistaken, the "球" wasn't meant to be referring to normal playing balls.... hmmm) I've got another duty for the 'Family Day' event which means I can only squeeze time out to watch them. Therefore, will most prob pass on main instructions and substitutions to be carried out based on next wk's training.

- Was eagerly anticipating Linkin Park's "New Divide", for a couple of reasons (Actually read abt the world premiere date from news so it got me curious). 1stly, the trailer for Transformers 2 carried abit of the song's beginning and it was pretty good. 2ndly, their previous song "What I've Done" clicked and blended in well with the movie's effects/graphics. I was expecting more of the same this time. Don't think I was disappointed. I'm sure it'll sound even better in the movie. The world premiere was annouced as 18 May but ended up its for GMT time, which was like 3am Singapore time. Heard it for the first time on 98.7FM at ard 6am that morning (knew abt it cos they announced abt the timing of this debut broadcast the day before).

- Busy returning exam scripts, going thru answers for pupils to check for marking errors, explaining, giving pointers, doing analysis report, keying in of results etc. Now left with filing and one more chap for P4 CL, plus P4 and 5 CME lessons to complete over coming wk. Oh ya, there's the book exchange thingy also which took up lots of classroom time too.

Have a look: 李秀英感人MV《形單影支》

2009-05-20T21:11:00.005+08:00

Got something to write about but lazy to type now. Haha. Share this music video. Korean song. Sad song. Love related song. Sad/'tragedy' ending. I enjoying listening to this kind of song. Like what some who know me commented, I am 'emo'. I don't really like stories with 'happily ever after' ending. Simply cos in life, such cases are far too few. I like realistic process/endings, ups and downs.

Watch the movie carefully. Not too hard to understand. Song is not bad too. Will talk about the singer in the future. She's got a sad background in her own life too.

(Remember to pause Xiao Zhu's MV on the right. Hehe.)

韓國經典感人MTV -李秀英感人MV《形單影支》

手牵手心一齐

2009-05-17T16:41:00.006+08:00

It's been five days since the 1 yr anniversary of 2008's Sichuan earthquake.

The one thing besides the magnitude of the tragedy which has been so vivid in my mind is the story of that of a mum who died shielding her baby child from the debris, leaving behind a simple yet touching message in her handphone. Coincidentally, Mothers' Day falls in May as well. 天意弄人... ... Best wishes to all those affected and to the departed ones, R.I.P.

人言可畏

2009-05-14T21:39:00.005+08:00

Basically, the big hoo-ha is that Xiao Zhu a.k.a. 罗志祥 a.k.a Show Lo was 'condemned' by media reports cos he's not the guai/乖 or good guy he seemed to portray himself as. But seriously, I have doubts...

1. I never ever see him as someone '乖'. He's more the mischevious and funny type imo.

2. What did he do wrong? Just online instant messaging/chatting online. Ok, he might have posed shirtless in front of the web cam, he might have been edging towards making friends with pretty girls/well known models etc. but its not a crime. At worst, he's 'flirtatious'. And that's a bit of overstatement cos he's simply 'chatting'.

3. The headline for the past 2 day's was how there's supposedly another 3 netizens on his 'list'. And apparently all three spilled some beans with regard to what they chat/do. I think anyone sane can tell its attention/fame these trio are seeking.

In summary, it portrays a depressing state of media. To loosely translate what Xiao Zhu said, they already saw a corpse on the floor but still carry on firing the rounds.

人言可畏. This we can't deny. Words hurt. Gossip is a fearful thing. We always hear people say: "Mouth belongs to others. Let them say/scold/comment all they want. Just stand by your own principle if you are sure its right". In fact I tell these to/hear these from people around me too. But, again, just like what Xiao Zhu said, he's not affected by the critics but it hurts/pains to see those around you being affected by it. 事情并没有我们想象得那么直接，单纯。因为在我们身边还有许许多多陪伴着我们的人。我们可以尽最大的能力，但是我们是没有办法保证他们不会被引向到的。

The next time you pass off a remark, a comment, or criticism think twice. It cost you nothing. Maybe just a second or two (plus a bit of saliva ^_^"), but it costs others much more. Try to make sure it is constructive.

To Xiao Zhu:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". Continue holding your head up high.

Beautiful imperfections that make a relationship perfect

2009-05-08T20:12:00.003+08:00

Came across this video that was posted on a forum. Don't remember seeing it on TV. Guess might be because its aired on Channel 5 instead (if it ever was? :P). Simple and meaningful, gets the message across.

Funeral - TV Commercial launched by Ministry of Community Development

"In the end, its these small things that you remember. The little imperfections that make them perfect, for you."

*Updated 'Linky' section

Song/Video of the 'Moment' (1st May)

2009-05-01T23:04:00.004+08:00

Nickelback's "If Today Was Your Last Day" it is. What catches my attention first and foremost was the lyrics. Almost every line can be a quotable quote.

The beat & rhythm itself coupled with the lyrics which leave food for thought, makes it a really good and meaningful song. Enjoy.

My personal picks:

"each day's a gift and not a given right"
"what's worth the price is always worth the fight"
"every second counts 'cause there's no second try"
"so do whatever it takes 'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life"

Another Day Gone By...

2009-04-28T21:12:00.003+08:00

Well, as expected. It was a busy day. Finished 3 quarter of what the workbooks and exercises to be marked. And that was after a wkend of compo marking. Lol. ^_^"

Also got 'entrusted' (note the apostrophe :P) with marking of one particular question for 理解问答 for P6 class. Kind of a challenge and a bolt out of the blue given my own marking plus the timeline of 35-45min (had to rush and get it done by 1230pm - i.e. last period of the day), as well as the mark allocation factor cos it was a 3 part question with a total weightage of 4 marks.

Tml is Wednesday liao. How time flies! "Each day's not a gift and not a given right"

The End is Near

2009-04-27T21:51:00.007+08:00

Its going to be another short week since Fri's a public holiday. But with the cca and star buddy duties on top of normal lessons and work to mark so as to pass back to students in time for revision, as well as the beginning of SA1 with Listening Comp. and Paper 1 for EL and CL on Wed and Thur, its gonna be a short but packed week.

And with that, its also going to be a step closer to the end. Almost a month left only liao. Take away the examination periods and wkends and it'll be even shorter. All good things come to an end. Yes I'm old (or should I say mature) enough to understand that but men are emotional creatures after all. Haha. The end is near... ... it really is... ...

- Updated Linky section.

2009-04-25T21:36:00.002+08:00

(9.37pm) Created 'Linky' section. Do update me of your urls/acc names, k? Cheers.

Song/Video of the 'Moment' (25th Apr)

2009-04-25T01:38:00.006+08:00

It's the theme song from a korean movie entitled "The King and The Clown".

The singer's strong vocal, together with the emotional references of the musical instruments and lyrics blended well into a piece.

I like the way the lyrics were presented. No sophisticated phrases. No exaggeration. Simple words which string together to form a clear/realistic story/picture.

Here's some of my favourite lines from the song:

You're a gift upon this weary path of life.

(Godalpun salme kire dangshinun seonmu~rin geol.)
--- --- ---

I'll continue to shine this love so that it won't rust away.
(Yi sarang i noksulji antorok nul dakka bichulkeyo.)
--- --- ---

Even if our love is unattainable, I won't regret it because nothing is forever.
(Metchi motandedo huhehaji ancho, Youngwonan geon Eopsunika.)
--- --- ---

On the day we meet again after the long way round, please don't let go of my hand.
(Meon gil dora dashi mannanun nal, narul notchi marayo.)

Blog's up and running again

2009-04-25T00:50:00.006+08:00

Was experiencing instability with my Blogger account previously cos of linkage to Gmail account. Fingers crossed all's fine now.

Just carried out 1st 'renovation' on the blog ever since I started it.

- Changed header from text title to graphical header
- Changed background color/scheme

Just wana make it plain and easy for the eyes while providing contrast to the header thus opted for pure white rather than initial idea of a darker tone along grey to black. Also

- Going to add a Links section (solely those of my sch 'kids' since this site is more of a 'bridge' between us than of me to friends)
- Updated Media section (see next post)

Do tag and leave your blog/personal website url, or even your email, msn, friendster or facebook etc. address(es) to allow linkage as well as for keep in touch (k.i.t.) purposes.

Cheers

Another week going by...

2009-04-02T19:37:00.006+08:00

Been a smooth week so far. Wore long sleeve to sch on Tue cos of appt later on in the day, ended up answering same questions to almost everyone whom I met/came across. Dots. Just as I was joking with them, was it because (a) I look bad in my usual, more leisure wear; (b) I look bad in formal long sleeve or (c) I look bad in both. Lol. Aiya, I'm just lazy to iron my clothes every night. That's the main reason why I prefer polo-tees, even though I may look funny in it. ^_^" Even the P was kind of 'teasing' me, albeit in a positive manner. Makes me wonder if I should wear it to sch the next time, or just bring then change into it when necessary.

12 more days to Dday and counting down. Although its in my own hands, I'm racing against time. Can't fault anyone though. Boils down to myself after all. Fingers crossed things will go well. However, must admit this could or rather will be the be-all or end-all.

Won't be able to play for my team this Sat in the opening match of group stage cos am bringing pupils to Clementi Woods Sec Sch for Scrabble competition - and we're setting off btw 640am - 650am from sch. ^_^" Quarter of weekend gone. Hope we'll fare well to make the efforts worthwhile. *_^.

On a sidenote, after Dday, hopefully will have the chance to get the surgery go-ahead as well as settle on a confirmed date. Adios.

*Edit: Oh, nearly forgot that I fall prey to Apr Fools day yesterday, even though I did not let it show. LOL. I was actually told the same thing by 2 students - that I forgot my zip. And it was from two of different class, different gender, but of close timing - before the 1st session of the day and during the 2nd session.

Got me a little 'malu', thinking I really accidentally forgot to do so. Luckily I'm smart enough not to show by doing things like checking or zipping. Lol. It was only after the second 'sabotage' attempt that I remembered the occassion. Dots.

Stayed back for my involvement in Star Buddy programme yesterday as well and it was nice to see some ex-students back with their sec sch being involved with our P5 kids. To my surprise they actually asked me if they could have a match of Captain's Ball. Lol. Thought they would've grown sick and tired of it after the no. we played towards the end of last yr. Its great to see all of you progressing and some of you have really changed quite a lot in the space of months. Thanks for the brief chat & game too. Cya soon and jiayouz for the 1st major exam in your new educational phrase! ^_^/~

My Last Teaching School Term

2009-03-23T19:35:00.003+08:00

... ... began today. First thing in the morning, first day already kanna asked 'to help out' with stuffs. Seems to deja-vu - thoughts of the 'arrows' which came my direction during NS come to mind. Aiya they say I am 大红人, what to do? Lol. Nvm, in everything you do/failed to do, always aim to learn or take away something from it, ehm even if its your own precious leisure time (haha no la, jking).

Monday - booked.
Tuesday - booked; in fact being 'chased' by two sides to help ^_^"
Wednesday - course after meeting (if I remember correctly)
Thursday - booked.
Friday - fingers crossed won't be 'touched'. need to set aside time for my own soccer training lor...
Next Sat - booked.

To my slight surprise, didn't see any new faces today. Remembered this time last yr, after Mar holidays was when I arrived at the school. Well, maybe they are here, just that didn't get to see cos of my lessons.

Last few weeks to go liao. Dunno how I will feel leh... I remember during my ORD I was actually closer to shading tears then jumping for joy at getting back my pink NRIC lor... Soft? No. Sentimental? Yes, for sure. That's y people treasure me as a friend/confidant ma. Lol. Ok la, don't 老"陈"卖瓜 le. It's a busy 'opening' week ahead, but I guess that's what the mini break in the prior week was meant for.

On a sidenote: 4-0 vs. RM, 4-1 vs. Man Utd, 5-0 vs. Aston Villa, Rafa Benitez signing new 5 yr deal. Could there be a better 10-14 days spell for Liverpool Football Club? Definitely not, unless we win the Holy Grail and keep our record as record winners intact. Walk on... walk on... You'll Never Walk Alone!

Regards n YNWA~

Eeeemo Week...

2009-03-04T19:49:00.006+08:00

Increasingly 'emo' with every passing day. Another 'deer' got lost in my heart again..., "bing-ing" here, "bong-ing" there. Lol. 这种感觉又来了。Don't know is self-deceiving or super sure la, but based on experience, time should heal the 'swore' suffered after the collisions lor. :P

One side thinking "ya, will get over it" another side actually hoping "its more than a normal/occassional crush". Lol. The lyrics in David Archuleta's 2 songs "Crush" and "A Little Too Not Over You" is sooo applicable to my feelings right now. ^_^"

(On a sidenote, being emo reminds me of something. I got to really realised what comedians mean when they say its tough for them in their job. Similar experience for teachers in a way. Sometimes I might be bothered by something, or as like now, feeling emo.

But in sch when the kids greet you, you still have to return them a smile or reply. When they speak to you, when they confine their prob in you, you can't let your own feelings manipulate your mind. When you step into the classroom, you still have to and ought to teach/interact with the same gusto and enthusiasm. Its not easy, I've experienced it now.

Can you imagine how worse things get when some kids simply refuse to behave or listen to instructions? Its like internal+external war. Lol. Ehmm I hope I won't get quoted on these or have my blog blocked. Just a penny of my emo thoughts. Would also like to take this opportunity to apologise to anyone whom I failed to return a smile/greeting to at any moment, be it in sch or outside. I'm not ignoring or worse still, belittling you/taking your respect/friendliness for granted. My sincerest apologies. ^_^/)

From "Crush"

Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it really just another crush?

---

Has it ever crossed your mind?
When we're hanging, spending time girl?
Are we just friends? Is there more? Is there more?

---

From "A Little Too Not Over You"

(Different scenario but similar feelings ba...)
Tell me why you're so hard to forget.
Don't remind me, I'm not over it.
Tell me why I can't seem to face the truth.
I'm just a little too not over you.
Not over you....

God, Please Give Me More Time! (神啊!请给我多一点时间/ Kamisama mou sukoshi dake)

2009-02-25T22:42:00.005+08:00

Telecasted in the year 1998, this is one of the most touching and meaningful love drama series I remember right until now. The theme song "I for You" by Luna Sea enhances the nostalgic feeling one has after watching the show. It's just 12 episodes long so if you haven't caught it yet (esp. if you missed it cos you were too young back then), I strongly recommend you this show (go to tudou.com and paste the chinese title).

Came across a very detailed review of the drama (from spcnet.tv) and here's something to whet your appetite for the show. It's a long read but a very in-depth, meaningful one-->

Cast:
Kaneshiro Takeshi as Keigo Ishikawa
Kyoko Fukada as Masaki Kyouno.

Plot:

Many themes have been incorporated into this Japanese TV series, such as HIV, friendship, bullying, abortion, parentage and of course, love.

The story revolves around Masaki, a swoony 16-year-old high school student who is an avid fan of Keigo, a music producer. In order to get enough money to buy the tickets for his concert, Masaki engages in a night of sexual intercourse with a complete stranger.

After attending the concert, Masaki and Keigo met up by chance. Keigo bought Masaki to his home where he was entranced by her bubbly and naive nature. After this one nightstand, Masaki left his house, having no regrets at all.

Three months later, Keigo came back from his music tour and chose to meet up with Masaki. However, Masaki at that time found herself HIV positive. And through here the story continues to unveil itself where Keigo and Masaki's relationship continue to develop, from sympathy to friendship to love. Throughout this time, Keigo stayed by Masaki’s side, supporting her without truly understanding his underlying feelings for her and in the end, falling in love with her.
Themes:

Many themes are evident throughout this series and have thoroughly impressed me, as not many films are willing to touch on this subject, one of which is HIV. While most people tend to duck from this topic, this series managed to carry it out without problem, allowing viewers to experience the pain and confusion one goes through but it also shows how these people can still have a normal life despite these obstacles. However, not many view it this way as Masaki’s friends showed. They kept their distance when they heard of this news (though not directly from the person herself) and also made Masaki’s schooling as horrible as possible. However, upon hearing Masaki’s speech in the school hall, they embraced her and gave her the support and friendship she needed.

Although I’m not too fond about this sort of friendship where ‘friends’ disappear as soon as trouble appears, it’s good to know they still cared for their friend once knowing her position.

Parentage is also quite a poignant topic, displaying the ways Masaki’s parents acted towards the situation. Not only that but the relationship between the parents themselves. They may be a family but it did not carry that feeling in the beginning. The father only cared about his work and spent most of his hours in the office; the mother was the typical homemaker who was having an affair outside the house; and the younger brother was always buried in his studies.
Throughout all this, Masaki was left to do whatever she pleased, including pubbing into the late of night. Upon realising the mother’s indiscretions, Masaki was devastated to learn she has no one reliable to rely on. However, her mother desperately tries to create a bond with her daughter. In the end, after learning Masaki is HIV positive, something that she has kept from her family for a long time, each individual member of the family reacted differently.
The mother, maybe due to guilt, supported her daughter; her father was ashamed of this piece of news and won’t allow Masaki to go to school anymore; while her younger brother was cold and distant, perhaps now losing the role model he needed to look up on, and blamed all bad happenings on his sister. Nevertheless, as the plot progresses, the family comes together despite the mother and father having a divorce… although it’s for the better.

Yesterday...

2009-02-21T20:57:00.005+08:00

Went to Jalan Besar stadium to catch S League match between Sengkang Punggol and Gombak United. After all the hype about Sengkang being a force to be reckoned with giving their pre-season transfers, I've not been impressed at all. Direct, long ball football played under the management of German coach Jorg Steinebrunner, formerly of Woodlands United. Gombak on the other hand tried to play football and Agu Casmir was great in his targetman's role. Gombak won the game 1-0 and rightly so.

One thing that caught my attention was the brighter lightings from the flood lights, upgraded to meet the requirements for hosting of Youth Olympic events. On a side note, there was a 'weird' uncle seated just one row above me who was muttering to himself all the time, signing some funny, self-composed cheers in mandarin, mixed with 'live commentary' every now and then. Those of us seated around him were trying hard to concentrate on the match as well as to conseal our laughter. ^_^"

Right kneecap still hurts a little when kneeling/squatting. Guess yet to recover from the injury suffered from my tackle in my last soccer match. Meanwhile, just finished a season managing Inter Milan in my FM 09 game, winning the league and CL.

Got THAT feeling again...

2009-02-11T21:39:00.005+08:00

Sigh. Still remember the last time I felt the same as I do now was in last quarter of yr 2008. It's back again. And what an ironic time, close to the upcoming special occasion.

No idea how I managed to get over it the previous time round. 顺其自然 perhaps?

"问世间情为何物，直教生死相许?天南地北双飞客，老翅几回寒暑!"

Week so far in short

2009-02-11T21:31:00.005+08:00

Mon - Lesson observation. Supposed to be 2 periods ended up had to make do with 1 period so my 教案 and ppt presentation done over the wkend was bascially distorted... In one of the period which I relieved, one of the pupil pointed out the normal of "Ok?" I used as I was teaching them moral ed. 'Forced' me into taking note and changing to words like 明白吗？可以吗？是不是啊？. Lol, not as easy as I thought it would be.

Tue - Head called for me. Informed of taking on of new duty for next 3 wks. Basically colleague A is on 3 wk mc so colleague B is taking over her timetable and I, together with colleague C, am splitting up and sharing B's original work load, on top of our own ones. That mean's back in contact with lower pri again.

Wed - Course after contact time. Luckily not as 'dry' as I thought. By the time it ended, starting to rain. Caught in rain which got heavier and heavier. No choice but to brave the weather, track shoe soaked like mad. :(

Thur - Gotta chase art work liao. Get owed so long by so many. Too nice and lenient i guess. Must make sure everything in and marked before handing over before I leave.

A different week...

2009-02-05T21:17:00.003+08:00

Today marked the end of my four-day stint relieving a fellow colleague who went on course (basically 2 main classes - P3 and P6 CL). Basically the past few days till now have been hectic with lots of markings, since I gave out quite a lot of work (习字，听写，作业，作文，小测验。。。). Was supposed to take on her time table, which meant I didn't and needn't go in for my own classes for lessons. Alas, was asked to help out yesterday by 'taking back' two of my own periods cos of lack of personnel available to relief.

Talking about relief, that brings me back to my 'advantage' two days ago. Was called in early in the morning and 'entrusted' with the job of relieving (and I was supposed to teach, cos' apparently the subject teacher's pretty particular about quality time spent - which I do agree with. 1 hour is too much to be wasted) 2 periods of P6 science and social studies respectively.

'Curse' of the 'golden mouth' struck, I guess. Remembered back last yr when my colleagues and I were joking about me having virtually tried my hands on all subjects (personal core is CL, relieved EL, Math, Music for lower pri and subsequently took on PE and SS for upper pri, before taking on Art this year), except science. ^_^" So here it is, 'quota' completed.

Back to the main topic. Basically I'm pretty familiar with the P3 CL class cos I'm their Art teacher so the P6 class was more of an "eye-opener". The girls were pretty alright and reserved while the boys were more of a challenge. That said, having thought a couple of them before last yr and also managed another few in my previous yr's CCA, more or less had an idea what I was up against after my 1st session.

Overall, majority of them are fun-loving and just want over-curious at times. Of course there's the routine reprimanding but overall it was a fairly nice time - trying my hands on a new lvl for CL teaching, getting to know new/some lads better and 'honing' my marking skills. O_O"

Been approached by another colleague to make a brief 'return' to Badminton CCA and help bring some of the kids out for competition tml so kinda ironic way to end the week...

赤壁2 - 決戰天下 (Red Cliff: Part 2)

2009-01-21T21:33:00.003+08:00

The movie came out almost 2 wks ago but cos of my schedule, haven't been able to catch it. Being a 三国 fan, it goes without saying that I won't be giving it a miss, even though I must admit my disappointment with director John Woo's approach to the film.

Based on the reviews I've read so far, seems like its pretty far fetch from the 'real thing'. Xiao Qiao's role was very much modified and enjoyed a lot of the emphasize. Guess it's far to say that we real fans out there would prefer the focus to be on the story and truth. While some critics pointed out to the need for Woo to tweak his approach in accordance to pushing the film towards the Europeans and Hollywood market, I don't think that's something right for a historical film. The Battle of Chibi was one of the catch of Romance of the Three Kingdoms but what's been protrayed and delivered to viewers is inaccurate and esp. misleading to those new to the story. There's a China drama serialisation of RTK which is ongoing and started fliming towards the end of last yr so I'd be reserving my expectations for that.

1st post of 2009

2009-01-14T20:17:00.004+08:00

Been a long time since my last blog entry. Hmmm.... basically just slagged throughout the yr end holidays, mostly playing games. :p

Was a bit nostalgic after catching the repeat telecast of 倚天屠龙记 (The Heavenly Sword & The Dragon Sabre) and felt the urge to go back to chinese RPG games again. Sadly ever since my Poly days there've been fewer and fewer outstanding titles. The most renowned one has got to be 仙剑奇侠传. Very 'chee-na' (slang word for being retro in the ancient China aspect). Since my PC's specs back then when some of the games were out wasn't up to the standard back then, it was an opportunity to try my hands on these games again and 'catch back' lost times.

Meanwhile, was allocated in morning session, as were my 3 other fellow untrained teachers. Being ever so 隨便, my mere disappointment, was to miss out on the chance to experience the handling of P1 kids. By the time I started my stint at the sch last yr, it was already Mar and the kids were more or less settled down so it would have been interesting having 1st hand experience of guiding them right from the start.

Alas, there was another form of challenge for me, in the form of a new subject - Art & Craft. Ok, not exactly the toughest of jobs, but certainly not something within my expectations. All my 4 classes are P3 and chinese mentoring attachments with a P4 and P5 class 'wrap up' my timetable. Also had a new allocation in terms of CCA in-charge from Badminton to Athletics.

Here's wishing my (hopfully) final few months at KHS will be an enjoyable and memorable one.

Tanjong Puteri, Singapore Conference Hall & FM 09

2008-11-14T21:35:00.004+08:00

Well, first of all, Happy Holidays to all my students, 'bro's and 'children' out there!

Been a short yet busy week with involvement in sch events and I'd probably did more traveling during over the pass 2 weeks for work than before. Went to Tanjong Puteri with the P6s who were there for their graduation trip. Wouldn't exactly brand it as enjoyable but we had a nice time together. As usual the kids especially lads for a couple of classes as well as those under my care were fun and loving. Though the trip was short - 2d1n, the flies there surely made the most out of us, ehm, at least me. LOL! Realised bites on my legs only a day upon returning. ^_^"

Was then designated by the P as representative of the sch at a book launch by the Huay Kuan and then brought pupils out for exhibition on the same day. Didn't did enough homework and realised I was at the wrong place only upon reaching Suntec Convention Hall. It was written as Singapore Convention Hall on the invitation card. Should've noticed the lack of hall numbers (cos those at Suntec do have that) . Ended up being late for about 5mins. Luckily the actual venue - Shenton Way, wasn't too far away from City Hall.

There was also the P6 and P1-5 Graduation and Thanksgiving Ceremony respectively. Must admit it was a bit of a wrench to see the P5 and 6s leave (as in to another level/class for the 5s and school for the 6s). That despite having taught/interacted with them for only about a quarter of the year. Can't imagine how I would feel when I go into the profession officially.

To wrap things up, we had our staff retreat yesterday. Bascially it was more for the ladies cos there were food, bird nests (for those who visited the factory) and seafood up for grabs at discounted prices. Needless to say, I went out empty-handed and returned likewise. :P

Went done to SLS today to grab a copy of Football Manager 2009 ended up a wasted trip cos the stocks were not in yet, despite today being the official on-sale date. Dropped by Funan to see if goods arrived earlier there but tough luck. Left my contact as the staff told me it will be here today albeit at later timing. Got a call later in the evening around 6plus pm and rushed down to buy a copy. To my slight surprise mine was considered as pre-order. Haha. Just wanted to be kept informed ended up saving $5.

Ok, that's all for now. Off to start my game of FM managing Liverpool FC liao. Wee!

我玩,我玩,我玩玩玩

2008-10-27T21:21:00.003+08:00

Lol. Been some time since I last updated the blog. Have been 'leveling up' in a new Taiwan originated mmorpg entitled 吞食天地 Online II. Played the previous version and found it quite fun back then (during schooling days. haha) so when this game was officially up on the 17th this month, I kept a close eye on it. As usual, being the kiasu me, I opted to wait and join once a new server was created (I want to start on level playing field with the rest, no use joining an established server with palyers far far ahead of you in terms of skills and levels).

Taiwan commercial for TSTD Online II

One do tend to get addicted though. Always wanting to log on to make sure level's not too far behind the leaders. Another bad thing about this is that there's actually the point card system. That's how the company makes money.

Basically, you spend S$10-S$20+ bucks on point cards ranging from 150, 300 and 450 pts and upon purchasing you can enter these points into your game acc as virtual tokens. With these tokens you get to purchase some useful/cool items eg. a crystal ball which allows you to stall 20k learning points into it and upon usage of this crystal ball (to learn skills), your 20k becomes 25k. Also helps in terms of convenience as the max capacity of learning points each character has is 20k (30k for lvl 30 and above) so instead of having to make trips to increase skill level or learn new skills everytime your capacity is max-ed out, you can accumulate a few of these crystal balls before doing so.

Hmmm, meanwhile Sigames have announced the official sales date for Football Manager 2009. Woo-hoo! My fav. game besides San Guo related ones. Really gives you the feel of being a football manager. Haha. Current set as 14 Nov. Enough games to keep me occupied over the hols then. ;)

1 month to the Hols...

2008-10-15T21:03:00.004+08:00

Yesterday's trip to East Coast Park provided a breather from the daily routine. It was quite clean though, with the students' major findings being cigarette butts and torn pieces of tissue papers. There were to be some 'interesting' findings though, such as condoms. ^_^"

As expected (at least personally), the kids spent more time mingling around and playing (with the sand) on the beach than on their actual tasks of picking up litters. Gotta mention though, that the bunch of students I was 'looking after' were a fun one. We managed to gossip a little on various subjects and this continued on our way back to sch as well as during their delayed recess break.

It was a packed day today. Had my own classes + relieved for another colleague who was ill (and teaches the same subject). Basically just had 1 free period and was with the P3s for the whole day but was thoroughly enjoyable going over the final revisions with them prior to the exams starting next wk.

While the kids get to stay at home and enjoy (P6s) or prepare for the coming wk's challenge, we still have to go back to school as per normal. Should be using some of the free time time tomorrow to map out the sch &/or personal recreational activities with my pupils. 1 more month to yr end Hols. Jia you everyone! *_^/~

(Tonight can 熬通宵 to watch World Cup Qualifiers liao since there's no proper lessons tml. Weee!)

Classroom out, Beach in

2008-10-13T20:42:00.003+08:00

Am supposed to be invigilating for CL Listening Comp and Paper 1 tml but was involved this afternoon before leaving for home by colleague that my help was needed to accompany the P6s to beach cleaning tomorrow. Was also assigned task for (at least 2 of the) PSLE marking days (Thur, Fri).

Dropped a call to my DXO Chief Clerk just now to chat briefly. Almost a year since I ORDed. Kinda miss NS life. Haha. That said, should never look back. Time to plan for Nov/Dec hols. One item on my agenda's a gathering/outing for my kids from school. Next year probably won't have most, if any, of them again as my subject students liao ba... ...

Three Heroes Swear Brotherhood In The Peach Garden

2008-10-12T21:43:00.005+08:00

One of the reasons behind my love for San Guo: Friendship/Brotherhood

桃園三結義

周杰伦新专辑魔杰座 Capricon

2008-10-09T21:52:00.010+08:00

新加坡的发行日好像是定在10月15日。

主打：《稻香》

MV 完整版

预听了整张专辑，目前最喜欢的如下 (Track no.s are tentative)：

Track (2?): 女儿红 7.5/10

Track (6?): 失落非主流 6.8/10

每张周杰伦专辑肯定少不了一首中国风曲调的歌曲。听到目前为止，这首应该是此专辑的chinese oriented song。不过歌曲虽然在网上流传了将近一个月，但歌名似乎还不是很确定。

Track (7?): 兰亭序/红楼梦中 7.3/10

How misleading a headline can be

2008-10-09T21:34:00.003+08:00

"You're shabby and you're slow: Juve boss Ranieri's stinging rejection of Liverpool's Alonso"

One would've guessed that Claudio 'Tinkerman' Ranieri was criticising Xabi Alonso for his lack of pace. Far from it. A through read through the article proves otherwise.

'He was a player we wanted,' Ranieri said of Alonso. 'But he is a player, who even though he is an extraordinary man and a great professional, left me perplexed by the slowness of his movement in midfield.

'In the midfield of Rafa Benitez's Liverpool, where all of them are little soldiers, he finds himself in a fantastic position.

'But in our midfield, he would have found it hard to support the midfield line seeing as (Juve wingers) Mauro Camoranesi and Pavel Nedved are not players that come back to give support like Liverpool's wingers.'

Well, it was more of a reference in his role in Liverpool's midfield trio of Alonso-Mascherano-Gerrard rather than direct aim at Xabi himself. He's right though. The likes of Benayoun, Kuyt and even Gerrard cover far more ground in a match then the players like Camoranesi and Nedved. Basically, we've got more 'workers' throughout the team and therefore the workload's spreaded out. If Xabi was to play in the Juve team, he will be closed down too quickly before he can even spring those wonderful long passes to the flanks. (Guess that's why Ranieri signed another ex-Red Momo Sissoko instead, even though Momo's inferior to Xabi technically).

“一失足成千古恨”的下半句是什么？

2008-10-08T21:50:00.004+08:00

一失足成千古恨，再回首已百年身 (One false step brings everlasting grief)

Meaning: 人是感情的动物，常常会因为某些原因，做出令人懊恼悔恨的事，「一失足成千古恨，再回头已百年身。」

Definition: 百年身，就是下一辈子的事了，今生，再也没有希望了。

每一个错误，都要付出惨痛的代价。错误越大，代价越惨痛。做了错事，良心不安，别人痛苦，自己更痛苦。

Origin: 明朝的唐伯虎出生在江南一个富商家庭。

　　年轻时，唐伯虎无所事事，和人纵酒游乐，经过好朋友的规劝，于是唐伯虎祝闭门苦读，经年累月。 16岁时唐伯虎参加秀才考试，中了第一名案首。29 岁到南京参加乡试，高中解元（第一名）。

正当唐伯虎积极准备来年的京城会试时，却飞来横祸：在这次乡试中，有人事先经过贿赂，得了试题，事情泄漏后，考官被罢免，无辜的唐伯虎受到牵连，不仅被剥夺了解元称号，入了监狱，释放后唐伯虎感叹道：“一失足成千古笑，再回头是百年人。”

What if...

2008-10-08T21:33:00.003+08:00

There are some things in life which always trigger your thoughts and make you think back "What if". "What if I didn't do this?". "What if I did inform them earlier?". "What if I did not hide part of the truth?". What if... ...?

The decisions seem so straightforward or '只能这样了' at the point of decision making but only when we finally 'face the music' of the action/decision or sit down and seriously reflect, do we realise we could have/should have handled things differently.

I'm sure this happens to almost everyone, albeit in different capacity. Why? Cos' we were clouded by the situation? Or cos' we simply don't dare to reap what we sow immediately, preferring to "走一步,看一步" instead?

I guess I will never be able to rectify this weakness in me and although I'd hate that to happen, I think its not the end of "What if"s yet...

Fate?

2008-10-08T21:14:00.001+08:00

Having started out in the PM session and first coming into contact with the lower primary, I must admit I wasn't totally comfortable with the permanent switch to AM session for Term 3 and 4 (after switching over to help relieve a teacher who was on 2 wk's medical leave at the start of Term 3).

There's the difference in mindset, maturity, type of problems amongst students and obviously working time. Alas, over the past 1-2 months, having come into contact with an interesting and wonderful bunch of upper primary students, my preference for the PM session has shifted towards the opposite direction.

Was given a form two weeks ago to state preference for level and subjects etc and guess what? I ended up leaving blank for the relevant fields asking for preferences. LOL! It was unintentional. Was marking work in the midst of CCA duty and then paused to fill in the form. Realised my 'mistake' only on the next day. However, I decided to let nature take its cause cause I feel equally comfortable at the moment. 鱼与熊掌，难以兼得。祝我好运吧! ^_^

文+武=斌

Bye 4 Now!~

Cheated and Accused. How nice!

She is Gone - David Harkins

欲速则不达

True Legend

Infuckingcredible

Let Down

The Past Week

Can't Wait

Hello 2010!

Have a Great Year Ahead!

Merry X'Mas

"I See You" Music Video

如果人生也能够这样...

Everything

Liu Xiang's Treble Success

Great Goals!

宋家皇朝

Avatar - Go Catch It!

World Cup 2010

Bus 24 (SBS 8238E)

My 'Harvest' from Library

Thumbs up for 'Mulan'

搁浅

One Last Good Luck for 2009

Shame on You, Henry

Good Luck To Myself

Tears Off & Move On

Tribute † Enke †

R.I.P. Robert Enke

Backstabbing, LFC, Work and Shows

I Need A Miracle (of some sort), Too

这世界好宽 让孤独好满

OMG! 我的天啊... ...

'Hao Lian' Post

人生啊，人生！

12 Hours To Go

Can't Let Go

Byebye

Ranting

Go, Go Power Rangers!

"It's Your Loss >_< , Not Mine"

Good Luck Everyone (& Hi Fellow CBs)!

Some Quiz Results

LIFE = Living In Fear Everday?!?

Sweet Dream vs. Beautiful Nightmare

Happy Childrens' Day

No Turning Back

Bye Bye, Crayon Shin-chan. 永别了～

1 Down 3 To Go

Life is... ...

So 'Drama' Yet So Real

SW: Dedication To You

Can't Let It Bring Me Down

Good MVs - Nickelback's "Someday"

"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter"

开学、生命、累了

我不是一定要 "你" 回来

Farewell But Not Goodbye

Thanks For The Memories

What A Team Talk!

Impossible Is Nothing

Believe - In Me & With Me

Trust, Faith, Tolerance & Determination

R.I.P. King of Pop

Counting Down

"New Divide" Official Music Video

如果我变成回忆

Important Long Message For You. Yes, You.

Packed Yet Fulfilling Week

Have a look: 李秀英感人MV《形單影支》

手牵手 心一齐

人言可畏

Beautiful imperfections that make a relationship perfect

Song/Video of the 'Moment' (1st May)

Another Day Gone By...

The End is Near

Song/Video of the 'Moment' (25th Apr)

Blog's up and running again

这世界好宽让孤独好满

手牵手心一齐

Got THAT feeling again...

周杰伦新专辑魔杰座 Capricon