Inspiring

Yes! i'm having a break now which i've been looking forward to.

(All right, don't be envious of me, dear non-teachers. This is a working holiday for many of us.)

i'll still have to grade papers despite marking furiously before the break, in order to have a freer break. i've finished marking 167 sets of multiple choice questions, 948 sets of structured questions, 117 sets of comprehension questions, 78 literature essays and 78 essays. And i'm only left with 150 essays to go. So, i'm not that stressed up now.

i went back to school to clear some work yesterday and will clear some tonight before i go back again tomorrow to finish them all. Yes! And off i'll go to do some piano-coaching with Terence.

Then, i'm looking forward to a good lunch and Indiana Jones with a couple of friends. It's been more than 2 months since i've last watched a movie... couldn't recall my last movie :( Yeah... something forgetable.

Thursday is reserved for running errands, paying bills, etc...

Something that i'm most looking forward to is the Inspiring Worship seminars, concert and also workshops from 30th May to 3rd June. i want to be INSPIRED!!! And i'm going with a very expectant heart... and i will receive! Yes!

And next week, between invigilating some exams, i'll try to finish grading the rest of the 150 essay scripts.

There goes my break.

Meanwhile... happy holiday to me...

SiokJuga ^_^

Pig... ^@^

i was trying to guide or 'force' my weakest class to memorize short literature essays. This class is the weakest of the lot and i have three boys who could barely read. Yes, read. And nope, many of them can't converse in English.

So, to ask them to write a paragraph that makes sense requires Herculian effort, what more to write an essay.

Since mid-year exam is just around the corner, i whipped up my last 'rescue' plan - instruct them to memorize simple, prepared, really short literature essays and hope that, if they are lucky enough, one of the essay questions would pop up during exam. All they need to do is just regurgitate the three short paragraphs.

i tested them today.

Original phrase: "...Kino could not let go of the big pearl..."

Student's memory bank: "...Kino could not let go of the pig pearl..."

+_O

i think i will be getting gibberish... or blank papers from this class.

Happy marking... to me.

ManaSiok :(

Blur

Today SS went to The Hut to have lunch, alone. Yup, got a craving and drove there. It took me ages to find a legal parking lot but alas i couldn't find one after turning many rounds and waited. So parked at my usual illegal parking spot... er, so far, so safe :)

Went in The Hut and ordered my grilled lamb chop and a chocolate milkshake... :) Yes, i know. It's a fattening combination... :) But nothing can stop SS from her cravings... that is until i realized i had better check my wallet. It's the beginning of the month and i haven't gone to 'reload' my wallet yet... and i found out that i had only...

RM21.00!!! -__-

So off i dashed out of the restaurant to withdraw some cash from the ATM at the Alliance Bank which is just a few steps away and...

The ATM machine with MEPS is NOT functioning!!! -__- Gaaahhhh

And i was cursing myself for being so idiotic as to not having enough money for lunch, and that was AFTER i had ordered it... -__-

But nothing can stop SS from her food and she popped into her car and drove a few blocks away to AmBank's ATM, all the while hoping that the ATM would be able to dispense some cash. And she parked illegally right in front of bank and dashed in.

Crossing my fingers, i pressed the buttons and...

YES, money came out... XD

(Hah, you thought that i'd be so unlucky that this ATM is not functioning too, right? Wrong!)

Relieved, i dashed into my car and drove back and parked illegally, again...

Well, the food couldn't wait, could it? =D

When i got back into The Hut, the chocolate milk was already waiting for me :)... but it was too diluted :(

(Sigh, SS and her diluted drinks.)

Anyway, the food was good...

Ah, so satisfying... n_n

And full... *burp*

It's time for a little nap...

So in Love! ^^

*Sigh*

The Japanese craze has taken over SS... in the form of Ken Hirai \^_^/

so handsome... ^_^//

what a hunk... *drooling*

hot and sexy... *swooning*

beautiful voice... *heart melts*

can sing falsetto... *goosebumps*

and he sings R&B, slow pop rock... ^_^

*Sigh*... *Heart flutters*

To all my oestrogenic friends, you MUST take a listen to his songs! Especially if you are a sucker for romantic love ballads a.k.a. sappy songs. If you are of the testosteronic species, take a listen too.

Nope, i don't understand a single word (Zen, zen, wakarimasen) that he's singing save for a sprinkling of English words here and there. But that is not important at all... it's all about the melody and his voice!! *Sighs* ^_^// Really, his good looks just complete the whole package.

Close Eyes (Hitomi wo Tojite) (uploaded by Inanybar2007)

Cry & Smile (uploaded by azhaffchan)

Canvas (uploaded by rosmerycordero)

Even If (uploaded by azzhaffchan)




Omoiga Kasanaru Sonomaeni (uploaded by harvinsky)




Lovingly yours,
TerlaluSiokSendiri ^_^//

Perfume

The Japanese are known globally for their super cute cartoons, mangas and animes. i remember when i was a kid and later a tween, i used to look forward to Saturday mornings for a dose or two of Japanese cartoons. Those were the days when Astro and the Internet were non-existent. There were only RTM1 and RTM2!! Yikes!!! O.@

i remember loving the cartoons' theme songs. Even as a child, i found the tunes catchy although i had no idea what they were about. And the cartoons would end with another different song, usually a slower tempo song. And i'd always sit through the songs!

Something that never failed to amuse me then was the singer's voice. i think the theme songs are sung only by females (Correct me if i'm wrong). The singers would sing in a childlike, high-pitched voice. Really, i couldn't differentiate the voice quality from one singer to another. They all sounded the same to me. i loved ^-^ and hated \_/ those voices. Well, in spite of that, i still loved the tunes.

i was bumbling around Youtube and clicked on a video that was being watched. And guess what? It linked to a trio of Japanese girls, Perfume, who are famous for techno pop music. Yup, they sounded almost like each other and the digital distortion of their voices only made them sound more alike.

Anyway... again i'm 'caught' by the catchy tunes. Errmmm... i can't really find much meanings to their songs despite the English sub-titles. Maybe the songs would make more sense if i know Japanese. Or maybe the lyrics do not really matter if you are dancing away.

So, here's three of their songs. Tap along...

PolyRhythm

Baby Cruising Love

Macaroni

So, what do you think?

Thinker

Your Thinking is Abstract and Random

You are flexible, adaptable, and creative. There's many ways that you can learn - and you're up for any of them. You relate well to other people, and you do well working in groups. You can help people communicate together and work with each other's strengths. You don't work well with people who are competitive or adversarial. You prefer to work toward a common goal... not toward conflicting goals.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

Over & Done With

Woohoo! And the bunch of singers did not suck!!! Yay!

A huge burden is lifted off my shoulders today. The 55 kids trained, rehearsed, rehearsed, trained, practised, bought all the correct attires, came early this morning, put on make-up and accesories, warmed-up their voices, walked up the stage, waited for the curtain to open, smiled, sang the first song, sang the second song, bowed, the curtain closed... and it was all over.

After two weeks of training and coaching, it was all over in less than ten minutes.

Yeah, that's how it is with performances. Artists, singers, dancers, musicians could train for weeks and months on end and everything would be over in a few minutes, hours or so...

So much effort and yet how quickly everything ends.

This got me thinking about life. How the human race strive, work hard, build their life, accumulate wealth, upgrade their homes, cars, possessions, etc... Striving for perfection, for the best, in their life. And when the end comes, everything would be over in a blink of an eye.

What are we working for? What are we striving for? What are we stressed out over for?

And i will have to constantly remind myself to be careful and not lose sight of what i believe in, what i am convinced of...

Yours carefully,

SS -.-'

Imagine Me Without You

Here's another of Jaci's songs, uploaded by jmbrulz.





As long as stars shine down from heaven
And the rivers run into the seas
Till the end of time forever
You're the only love I'll need
In my life You're all that matters
In my eyes the only truth I see
When my hopes and dreams have shattered
You're the one that's there for me

When I found You, I was blessed
And I will never leave You, I need You

Imagine me without You
I'd be lost and so confused
I wouldn't last a day, I'd be afraid
Without You there to see me through
Imagine me without You
Lord, You know it's just impossible
Because of You it's all brand new
My life is now worthwhile
I can't imagine me without You

When You caught me I was falling
Your love lifted me back on my feet
It was like You heard my calling
And You rushed to set me free

Lay It Down

i first heard Jaci Velasquez sang a Christmas song and i fell in love with her voice and that jazzy tune which i kept replaying over and over again (too bad i couldn't remember the title). And just now as i was Youtubing, i found out that she is a Christian singer and she has sung many uplifting and inspiring songs. i particularly like this song 'Lay It Down' and have embedded one here which was uploaded by a Youtuber, kellyls9, who was touched by this song.

I've been lookin' till my eyes are tired of lookin'
Listenin' till my ears are numb from listenin'
Prayin' till my knees are sore from kneelin' on the bedroom floor
I know that You know that my heart is achin'
I'm runnin' out of tears and my will is breakin'
I don't think that I can carry the burden of it anymore

All of my hopes and my dreams and my best laid plans
Are slowly slippin' through my folded hands

So I'm gonna lay it down
I'm gonna learn to trust You now
What else can I do
Everything I am depends on You

And if the sun don't come back up
I know Your love will be enough
I'm gonna let it be
I'm gonna let it go
I'm gonna lay it down

I've been walkin' through this world like I'm barely livin'
Buried in the doubt of this hole I've been diggin'

But You're pullin' me out I'm finally breathing in the open air
This room maybe dark but I'm finally seein'
There's a new ray of hope and now I'm believin'
That the past is past and the future's beginning to look brighter now

Oh, cause all of my hopes and my dreams and my best laid plans
Are safe and secure when I place them in Your hands

Like A Star

i heard this song quite sometime ago and was captivated by the singer's sultry voice. The music is hauntingly beautiful. Like A Star is sung by Corinne Bailey Rae. i love its musical arrangement especially the guitar.

Just like a star across my sky
Just like an angel off the page
You have appeared to my life
Feel like I'll never be the same

Just like a song in my heart
Just like oil on my hands
Oh, I do love you

Still I wonder why it is
I don't argue like this
With anyone but you
We do it all the time
Blowing out my mind

You've got this look I can't describe
You make me feel like I'm alive
When everything else is a fade
Without a doubt you're on my side

Heaven has been away too long
Can't find the words to write this song
Oh, your love

Still I wonder why it is
I don't argue like this
With anyone but you
We do it all the time
Blowing out my mind

I have come to understand
The way it is, it's not a secret anymore
'Cause we've been through that before
From tonight I know that you're the only one
I've been confused and in the dark, now I understand

I wonder why it is
I don't argue like this
With anyone but you
I wonder why it is

I won't let my guard down
For anyone but you
We do it all the time
Blowing out my mind

Just like a star across my sky
Just like an angel off the page
You have appeared to my life
Feel like I'll never be the same
Just like a song in my heart
Just like oil on my hands