CNY deco

A CNY classroom decoration competition was organized by the ASCF(C) earlier this year in January in conjunction with the then, upcoming CNY celebration.

Most of the classes took part in the competition. Some went all out and decked their classes in red; hanging lanterns, spring couplets, rows upon rows of folded red angpau packets. There was also the God of Prosperity with the golden nuggets and all.

One such well-decorated classes was 5I. I thought that the students had done a great job in cleaning and sprucing up the class on their own.

I just could not resist taking snapshots of the class... while they were having exam!

Yellow and red pineapples hanging from the beams.

And after that particular paper, I snapped photos of the students too.

The proper pic:

The siok pic:

Soon after the school had reopened (after CNY break), the class was announced as the winner of the competition for the upper form category.

I'm glad my prediction came true. They deserved to win. Congrats!

But don't play too hard, yeah... Do study harder... :P

U61

After a gap of not teaching Form Sixers, I was tasked to teach a group last year. This group of students came in sometime in May 2008 and I started teaching them officially in June.

Initially there were 27 of them but the number slowly tapered down to 21 this year. Initially I did struggle because of the change in syllabus and the students' mixed ability. It was hard to find an entry point.

However, this was soon overcome and I find them enjoyable to teach. It is more relaxing to teach Form 6 students because they are more mature and the class is smaller. I do not have to deal with disciplinary problems and poor manners.

Sometimes, I do find myself crawling up the wall when they could not apply what I have taught or I did not get a more positive response from them.

It is quite seldom to get them all together during a lesson because there is bound to be one absent.

However, there was one day when they were all in class, all 21 of them, because (terpaksa) the MUET exam was approaching and I was going intensive.

So I gathered them together, took out my phone and snapped a few pics.

The proper pic:

Front to back, L - R:
Yeoh Lei Kun, Toh Pei Cin, Connie Wong, Sharon Hoh.
Vervienny, Lo Kai Li, Khaiyartika, Norfarhanah, Lim Yee Yen.
Dg. Najeeha, Marlina, Farena, Siew Lin Lih, Karyn Ku, Jumrianah, Christabelle.
Lim Fong Ho, Wong Jun Yin, Ralston Henry, Victor Yong, Sharon Wong.

Another proper pic:

The siok pic:

Good luck U61!

Study harder... :P

Mama's Day

This Mothers' Day, Vic booked a table for a buffet hi-tea at Promenade. As usual, no celebration can go without food and thus, the buffet.

I met up with Debs and the team over a cuppa before going to the buffet. It was a last minute decision to buy Ma some flowers. So we headed to a flower shop across the road.

The first thing that caught my eyes was this bouquet of very life-like carnations which costs RM80. So lovely!

Then I saw another bouquet of mixed-coloured carnations already pre-ordered by someone. Super lovely!!!

Glory Florist was already running out of flowers. There were only two stalks of carnations left and Wun2 and B1 bought them. So I decided to get half-a-dozen of yellow roses.

Watching the florist wrap up the roses was a joy. She was so quick and adept.

Voila! The simple bouquet for Ma.

At the hotel, we were assigned to a table at the smoking area because booking was on a first-come, first-served basis and the non-smoking area must have been fully booked.

Fortunately, no one from the other surrounding tables lit up any ciggie. I was extremely glad to be spared of the deadly fumes or else the hi-tea would have been ruined.

There were many people on that day who were just like us, celebrating Mothers' Day with piles of food.

I had these scrumptious food...

Fish maw soup

Salad, with lots of olives! Yums!

More salad

Fried food, high in fats and cholesterol... I ate them all :)

Chicken satays - most tender and delicious!

Chicken dumplings

Chocolate milkshake, Lo Han Kuo (herbal drink),
Teh Tarik and water (hidden).

Everyone just ate away...

Too full to eat anymore...

Here's Ma with her roses. She had earlier received another bunch of carnations from Mon2.

We left at about 2 p.m. after everyone was satisfied.

The bill was RM380 for six persons paid for by yours truly (am indeed poorer this month).

Vic, Anna and Ma went shopping, Kenny took off somewhere and I headed home after sending Mon2 home.

While at home, I snapped more photos of the flowers.

And here's Mon2's mix-coloured carnations for Ma.

Colourful!

And I also took a photo of a gift from Debs, a cute ceramic angel :) Thanks, Debs.

Happy Ma's Day ^.^

exercise for dear life!

And so, the blood test result's out. I had the previous one done in Oct 2007 which showed me having slightly higher cholesterol level.

This time around, I thought my cholesterol level would hit an all-time high but it was not. It is good.

However, the scary news to me is, my screening for diabetes yielded a result of 5.9, which is only 0.1 away from 6.0, the NORMAL range for people free of diabetes!

My dear doctor says that it is okay. Treatment is needed for those who have a level of 6.5 and above. And yours truly is only 0.6 away from 6.5!

And so, on the way home after my visit to the doctor, I drove by Gaya and turned in at the juncton to the small park.

Yes... I checked out the park where I will be exercising for... ever... or at least until my 5.9 drops to a more acceptable level.

Sigh... yes... the time has come when I will have to exercise for my dear life! And also lessen the intake of carbohydrates (my favourite) from my diet.

So, my dear kaki makan, please do not lure me with buffet invitations or pig-out sessions. My heart's gonna bleed...

TakBolehSiokLagi :(

the new school year 2009

And so, there goes my 2008 holiday. What have i done?

• Lazed at home and read 5 Nora Roberts' fiction. (Love them all. Still one to go. Save for CNY break.)
• Worked extra 10 hours at IPGKK at RM120 per hour! (Dear God, please give me more part time jobs like that! Amen!)
• Went Christmas carolling with a bunch of kids very, very much younger than me. (I feel like a dinosauress :'(...)
• Played for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations. (Haven't done that for some years. Where are those young ex-worship team members?)
• Marked SPM scripts and earned the experience. (A really vomit-inducing and blood pressure-raising work which pays peanuts. But the networking's great! We, English teachers, ARE a crazy bunch! Craziness in the midst of stress.)
• Went out with friends.
• Bought and decorated my first Christmas tree.
• Played for Debs for the Chinese Song-writing Competition.
• Slept before 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve! (A confirmation of me being a fossilized species.)
• Ate... a lot (Self-explanatory...)

In 2009, work-wise, I am...

• The Class Teacher of 5A (Sigh...)
• The Guru Penyelaras of the whole Form 5 (donkey job)
• The English teacher for 4B, 5A, 5I and U61 (Okay, this I like)
• The Choir Club Advisor (as usual... yawn...)
• The Advisor of the annual school magazine (yawn...)
• The Advisor of The English Drama Competition 2009 (stress x3)
• The Teasurer for my Sports House
• Other odds and ends...

Home-wise...

• Love my family more each day
• Clean my room more often
• Wash my laundry more often
• Wash my car more often

Service-wise...

• Be more punctual (^.^ ... was late for the first service of the year...)
• Train up 2 more keyboardists
• Get the chords for the song sheets done
• Be kinder to the 'kids' (For they are so fearful of me... *growl*)

Spiritually...

• Read my Bible more
• Pray more... honest and heart-felt prayers

Personally...

• Will be more relaxed
• Choose to be in control and calmer

Weight-wise...

• Lose those FATS!!! Sophie!!!! (Ma... what's for dinner?)

There... my list of tasks to do...

TentuSiok =D

A New Dawn

The year is coming to an end. Today's the last day of the year. How quickly time flies. I especially feel that this year. I haven't been updating this blog for a few months already (Many excuses and also some valid reasons. Am writing this in Wini's dad's study, using Wini's Internet connection... @.@ Thanks Wini...)

I had wanted to mark this date for remembrance :)

Some questions and musings for myself...

What have I done?
Have I learned anything?
Am I a better and wiser person with all the events and things that have taken place this year? Have I counted my blessings?
What's in store for next year?

Hmmm, am being very melancholic today... now...

But, I am very contented at this moment... very. At peace with myself and God ^_^


MasihSiokLagi ^.^

this is me - istj

ISTJ
The Duty Fulfiller
Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging


 
Serious and quiet, interested in security and peaceful living. Extremely thorough, responsible, and dependable. Well-developed powers of concentration. Usually interested in supporting and promoting traditions and establishments. Well-organized and hard working, they work steadily towards identified goals. They can usually accomplish any task once they have set their mind to it.

As an ISTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.

ISTJs are quiet and reserved individuals who are interested in security and peaceful living. They have a strongly-felt internal sense of duty, which lends them a serious air and the motivation to follow through on tasks. Organized and methodical in their approach, they can generally succeed at any task which they undertake.

ISTJs are very loyal, faithful, and dependable. They place great importance on honesty and integrity. They are "good citizens" who can be depended on to do the right thing for their families and communities. While they generally take things very seriously, they also usually have an offbeat sense of humor and can be a lot of fun - especially at family or work-related gatherings.

ISTJs tend to believe in laws and traditions, and expect the same from others. They're not comfortable with breaking laws or going against the rules. If they are able to see a good reason for stepping outside of the established mode of doing things, the ISTJ will support that effort. However, ISTJs more often tend to believe that things should be done according to procedures and plans. If an ISTJ has not developed their Intuitive side sufficiently, they may become overly obsessed with structure, and insist on doing everything "by the book".

The ISTJ is extremely dependable on following through with things which he or she has promised. For this reason, they sometimes get more and more work piled on them. Because the ISTJ has such a strong sense of duty, they may have a difficult time saying "no" when they are given more work than they can reasonably handle. For this reason, the ISTJ often works long hours, and may be unwittingly taken advantage of.

The ISTJ will work for long periods of time and put tremendous amounts of energy into doing any task which they see as important to fulfilling a goal. However, they will resist putting energy into things which don't make sense to them, or for which they can't see a practical application. They prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when the situation demands it. They like to be accountable for their actions, and enjoy being in positions of authority. The ISTJ has little use for theory or abstract thinking, unless the practical application is clear.

ISTJs have tremendous respect for facts. They hold a tremendous store of facts within themselves, which they have gathered through their Sensing preference. They may have difficulty understanding a theory or idea which is different from their own perspective. However, if they are shown the importance or relevance of the idea to someone who they respect or care about, the idea becomes a fact, which the ISTJ will internalize and support. Once the ISTJ supports a cause or idea, he or she will stop at no lengths to ensure that they are doing their duty of giving support where support is needed.

The ISTJ is not naturally in tune with their own feelings and the feelings of others. They may have difficulty picking up on emotional needs immediately, as they are presented. Being perfectionists themselves, they have a tendency to take other people's efforts for granted, like they take their own efforts for granted. They need to remember to pat people on the back once in a while.

ISTJs are likely to be uncomfortable expressing affection and emotion to others. However, their strong sense of duty and the ability to see what needs to be done in any situation usually allows them to overcome their natural reservations, and they are usually quite supporting and caring individuals with the people that they love. Once the ISTJ realizes the emotional needs of those who are close to them, they put forth effort to meet those needs.

The ISTJ is extremely faithful and loyal. Traditional and family-minded, they will put forth great amounts of effort at making their homes and families running smoothly. They are responsible parents, taking their parenting roles seriously. They are usually good and generous providers to their families. They care deeply about those close to them, although they usually are not comfortable with expressing their love. The ISTJ is likely to express their affection through actions, rather than through words.

ISTJs have an excellent ability to take any task and define it, organize it, plan it, and implement it through to completion. They are very hard workers, who do not allow obstacles to get in the way of performing their duties. They do not usually give themselves enough credit for their achievements, seeing their accomplishments simply as the natural fulfillment of their obligations.

ISTJs usually have a great sense of space and function, and artistic appreciation. Their homes are likely to be tastefully furnished and immaculately maintained. They are acutely aware of their senses, and want to be in surroundings which fit their need for structure, order, and beauty.

Under stress, ISTJs may fall into "catastrophe mode", where they see nothing but all of the possibilities of what could go wrong. They will berate themselves for things which they should have done differently, or duties which they failed to perform. They will lose their ability to see things calmly and reasonably, and will depress themselves with their visions of doom.

In general, the ISTJ has a tremendous amount of potential. Capable, logical, reasonable, and effective individuals with a deeply driven desire to promote security and peaceful living, the ISTJ has what it takes to be highly effective at achieving their chosen goals - whatever they may be.


Content above copyright of BSM Consulting, www.personalitypage.com

Love Song

Here's a catchy number from Sara Bareilles. i love this! It's been around for one year but i've only heard this two days ago... T_T (i don't know where i've been.)

Apparently, this song is not meant for the man in her life. She was signed on with a record label and they had wanted a better song (a love song) to make the album before they would release it. So she wrote this 'love song'. Her lyrics says it all.





Verse 1:
Head under water
And they tell me to breathe easy for a while
The breathing gets harder, even I know that
You made room for me but it's too soon to see
If I'm happy in your hands
I'm unusually hard to hold on to

Pre-Chorus:
Blank stares at blank pages
No easy way to say this
You mean well, but you make this hard on me

Chorus:
I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you asked for it
'Cause you need one, you see
I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you tell me it's
Make or breaking this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to stay
If all you have is leaving
I'm gonna need a better reason to write you a love song today
Today

Verse 2:
I learned the hard way
That they all say things you want to hear
My heavy heart sinks deep down under you
And your twisted words, your help just hurts
You are not what I thought you were
Hello to high and dry

Pre-Chorus 2:
Convinced me to please you
Made me think that I need this too
I'm trying to let you hear me as I am

Bridge:
Promise me you'll leave the light on
To help me see with daylight, my guide, gone
'Cause I believe there's a way you can love me because I say

Chorus:
I won't write you a love song
'Cause you asked for it
'Cause you need one you see
I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this
Is that why you wanted a love song
'Cause you asked for it
'Cause you need one you see
I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to stay
If your heart is nowhere in it
I don't want it for a minute
Babe, I'll walk the seven seas when I believe that there's a reason to
Write you a love song today
Today

Gravity

This song by singer-songwriter, Sara Bareilles, is beautiful!





Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long
No matter what I say or do
I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone

You hold me without touch
You keep me without chains
I never wanted anything so much
Than to drown in your love and not feel your rain

CHORUS:
Set me free, leave me be
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be
But you're on to me and all over me

You loved me 'cause I'm fragile
When I thought that I was strong
But you touch me for a little while
And all my fragile strength is gone

CHORUS:
Set me free, leave me be
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be
But you're on to me and all over me

I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you're
Everything I think I need here on the ground
But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down
You're keeping me down
You’re on to me, you’re on to me and all over

Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long

08.08.08

I find 08.08.08 amusing; just like how I find 07.07.07 of last year special.

It's the number - just because they are the same. They somehow look nice... triple 08.

To many, today is an auspicious day to get married. Just read the wedding announcements in the newspaper, especially the Chinese dailies.

To some, its a good number for lottery.

To me, its a Friday, marking the end of the working week for me.

The day before the weekend.

The day to watch the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. ^_^

The day to just siok a bit and post an entry on nothing in particular, just so 08.08.08 is marked here. 8)

Siok08.08.08