all in a day's work...

Finally! It is the month of February which means around 9 more months to go before I experience true freedom from the clutches of Singapore's tertiary education system!


Anyway,just to recall what happened recently, Sze Yee popped over my place and we had a nice long chat.Well, of course we did other things besides talking and it was really nice cos I sorta missed her...(happy eh,Sze Yee?) =)
She crashed my school just to eat the Roti Prata in the canteen today..hahaha!
Now for some unflattering photos of the 2 of us doing Hard Gay to the sounds of Ricky Martin's Livin da vida loca...WOO!!!!

In Choir today, we celebrated Sochenda's birthday!!! Haha...I'm glad she enjoyed herself even though she was too smart to know that we were planning a surprise for her! We tricked her into coming to sectionals quickly by saying that Weilin and Ai Ping are mad at her for coming late for practice but she was quite suspicious even though she was terrified that Weilin and Ai Ping were really angry with her (which would be impossible!)

So cutting the cake (we gave her a bear too!)
Altos!

Anyway,Soloists of the Day were Henry and Ai Ping...nice! Songs we learnt today were nice too especially the one which Joshua Habermann recommended. After practice, CHARLIE, Mimi, Duc,Shannon and I went for Alpha dinner at Ai Ping's church. Quite nice to see them all go (especially Mimi) and I'm positive everyone had a good time. Food was good (our table was so cluttered with all the chocolate wrappers,empty drink packets, chicken bones and empty plates! But it was ESPECIALLY MESSY at Duc's area! I wonder why...hahaha!) Games were simple but enjoyable. Charlie Brown soon established a reputation of being proficient in another language (Japanese) and suddenly there was an influx of people who asked him to sign on that portion of the Bingo card. Actually we wanted to go around asking for signatures but we ended up staying where we were and signing on the papers of those who looked for us..."like superstars!" Oh ya! How can I forget to mention this?!?! FINALLY, I get to see Jerome in real life and not in photos! Hahaha...and Charlie Brown had to ask whether I was excited and whether I was secretly peeking (...)

Been spending a lot lately on shows: Vocal Consort's Concert at Esplanade, Sam's TWO Band Concerts, the Phantom of the Opera Musical in April at Esplanade, and Junwei's gig at ITE Dover AND, I'm gonna talk about the latter cos I can't believe I got tricked!!!! Who started the rumour about the terrorist attack?!?!?!

Anyway, Valentine's Day is coming and I'll be spending time with A SPECIAL SOMEONE whom I love a lot...

My Brother.

As 14th February is his birthday, and as I have no SPECIAL SOMEONE to go out with (I'm an official member of the Spinsters' Club,right Rhyss?) The best thing I can look forward to is Cuiwen's rose which she plans to send to me (supposedly) through the inter-college friendship week or something...heh heh!

"this love is taking its toll on me..."

Iron Lady of Choir!
Trying to be Wallace & Gromit (?)

From the heart

Bitching

Something others do and something which one unconsciously engages in.(Although I have to say that most of the time I am aware yet I still persist.)


Something which is,most of the time, inaccurate due to the massive spreading of similar rumours but which, something which we tend to believe easily.


Something which you can't help doing due to an obvious and recurring weakness in the subject you're bitching about.


Something which you have no right to do as it is considered as passing judgement on someone when it should actually be settled by God.


The more I type this, the more guilty I am. I can say now that it is wrong to gossip and talk bad about people but once I'm in a group, it just happens naturally. It's always the case and I'm not proud of it!

Sometimes I try to be conscious of my tongue and keep my words to myself:being quiet the whole time the gossip is making its rounds. However, in the end, the pressure becomes so immense, like that of a water hose that is waiting to burst, that the floodgates of hell are released and everything starts coming out.


I just hate this weakness of mine. Can I just shut my mouth once and for all?


Things are made worse after people realised that I am God's child. Maybe I need to learn it the hard way. Maybe God would heighten my flaws, take away what little talents left in me just to show me how imperfect I am and make me realise who I am to question others when I'm worse than them?



From the depths of my heart, Lord, I want to change and be a better person:not one who brings people down. Help me to see people with your eyes. Sometimes the best person is the one who listens more than he speaks. Help me to learn to pray for them to replace each gossip I have said, each negative word I have uttered about them....

Knowledge vs. Wisdom

Actually I have no intention to blog for a long time, partly due to studies and other commitments but it just came as a random thought.


I was reading the additional mini-sermon which came with the "Our Daily Bread" and this time, it was about Knowledge and Wisdom. It states that Knowledge without Wisdom is nothing as you would be constantly listening to the many voices and not knowing which is the correct one. This leads me to think about Life in JC and the sudden influx of knowledge that is hastily thrusted on our weary minds. I realised that the more I understand how things work, for example,how the economy responds to price signals and why inflation and many other economical jargon takes place among other things, the more confused I become. Just like what the sermon said, my mind would soon become a computer overloaded with too much information that it is bound to crash one day.

The more knowledge we acquire, the more we have to see things through different perspectives. Also, we are expected to have a wider scope of our subject. An example would be Literature. In secondary school, Lit was not as complex as now with regards to analysis and essay structure but now, there's poetry and prose comparison: we have to question from both sides and argue with substantial points. The same goes for GP: wider scope, more marks...no black and white areas, there are always the "greys" to be considered. Recently, we are told to take a stand regarding the debate of God vs. Science. When is this going to end?



No wonder adults often say that they would very much want to be children again: carefree, without worries. This is indeed a case of "Ignorance is Bliss." Does education really give you more knowledge or more headaches?

"Teach less, learn more", they say...


Lord, give me the Wisdom to study smart. What's the point of poring through lecture readings and tutorials,understanding everything there and then but forgetting them soon after going through everything? I know that I'm not as academically well-off as many around me but give me the Wisdom to know what to do such that I would be able to perform sufficiently to go where you want me to...

Back to the Status Quo

My sister got a new bed. And with it came many problems and packing,throwing,re-organising and conflicts. Problems regarding the ergonomics of the room and how it should be arranged in such a way that it maximises room space as well as what should be retained and discarded (sentimentality vs. practicality) and many more.


As to conflicts, actually it's more of a personal issue. It's just that my aunt touched on a sensitive spot which epitomises me as a whole (Well,sort of...) She likened me to my third aunt in terms of untidiness and organisation and my third aunt's room is like...I don't know...you can't even see the floor cos its so messy? Of all things! Even though I'm not as neat and tidy as my Mum but to compare me to my third aunt is an insult to the extreme! It's equivalent to how I feel when someone hurls profanities at my parents.That's how serious it is!



Hmm,you may be thinking that it's just a small issue but to me, Organisation and Neatness is of utmost importance and this explains why I have this fetish of packing my clothes wardrobe every few weeks and why I can't stand the sight of books that are not properly aligned or even papers not neatly stacked together...and even though it may sound like a boast but I'm proud of how my room looks and how I organised it to be....I don't need my aunt to tell me nicely how things should be arranged and talk to me as if I don't know nuts about land maximisation of a tiny room in a four-room flat....ARGH!!!


But anyways, I should be glad that at least she bothered to help me organise and pack things...even though the comments were unnecessary...and all because of ONE BED...how ridiculous....Don't get me wrong: I still love my aunt. It's just that I thought she should know me well enough to know that she shouldn't say that continuously...(she's been harping on the issue of efficient space management for 2 consecutive days!)


Now my room is smaller than usual and smells of IKEA and my brother is King of 1/4 of the house....



After church I bumped into the most unexpected person in the heart of Yishun: Ms. Wendy Lee. (Yes,our Phy Geog teacher!) Apparently she attends a church nearby and she was waiting for her husband to pick her from his guitar lessons or something like that.Initially I wasn't sure whether it was her but she did a double-take when she saw me and came over to chat with my aunt and me....



Met Cui and Ping after that. Cui wore a skirt!!!! Pretty eh, Cuiwen? Chatted for quite some time before Ai Ping had to go and met up with Constance,Cui's church friend,after that. (She's funny!)



Woohoo~Cui in skirt!

Argh...can't take it anymore....hours and hours of packing and moving would inevitably turn a usually lethargic person like me to the living dead....

My many "Firsts" Today

"Happening" is what I would use to describe today. My "first" kicked off when Miss Kon sent me,along with a group of others, to the library after we failed to do our Lit Homework. Actually, I did it on rough paper and not in the Lit Journal and maybe it's because of that that I got sent out. Anyways, maybe this may be one of the last few times that I get punished in the educational system cos when we reach university, detention and such forms of punishment is unheard of. Therefore, being punished in JC occasionally is one of our last few opportunities to do so, at least according to CHARLIE'S philosophy...heh heh...

Shortly after, my next "first" came...I suffered a bout of severe menstrual cramps after running 5 rounds on the track during PE. It was not the first time getting mentrual cramps but this time, it was so serious that I was quite immobile! The pain was excruciating. The feeling was like rapid circulations of blood jabbing me periodically. Thanks to kind souls like Samantha, Charlene, Rhyss,Evatte, and many others who were concerned enough to ask me how I'm feeling time after time,who succeeded in shipping me to the canteen, buying food for me and giving me Panadol. THANK YOU!!! =)


Finally, the last "First" is the worse of all!!! In all my seventeen years on this earth, I have never felt more embarrassed and even though I know that by recording this incident here for the whole world to see would be embarrassing too, I'm sure I was humiliated enough already and further humiliation would mean nothing to me anymore. Anyways, to get straight to the point, my menstruation leaked and my green tpjc skirt was likened to the drainage basin that Ms.Lee taught for the lecture on rivers. (except that it's the Red Sea and not your normal,rushing water!) By the time I discovered the scarlet fountain of humiliation, Louis and Seng Keat (of all people) had already witnessed the Revival of the Red Sea in Singapore...ARGH!!!!

I alerted Mimi immediately and I side-stepped all the way to the toilet after enduring many "obstacles" along the way, one of them being Commando Lee who had a skeptical look on his face when we side-stepped past him. After I changed back to my PE attire, Mimi and I faced the world with courage again.(Well,actually me only!) Louis came up to me and told me that he and Seng Keat saw it but before they could alert me, I went out of the room already. As if that was not enough, Henry came up to me and said:

"Even though I don't know what's happening, from the look of it, I can roughly understand what is going on. Don't worry! Every girl has such moments."

The funny thing is, after my embarrassing incident, Ai Ping also had HER embarrassing moment of which it has to be kept under wraps. heh heh!!!


Ok,enough about my exciting day, now for the updates on today. Nelson ended practice at 5.25pm!!! Yay! I was actually prepared to endure through until 7pm..he rocks! Sochenda and Seng Keat were picked randomly for a solo today and Ms. Choo our new principal dropped in to listen to us. Emily paraded the new choir gown to the J2s and some ammendments to the colour of the gown were made. (One load off our minds!)


After that, dinner at Simei with what was supposed to be Terry,Luke,Prem,Seng Keat,Jillian,Fiona,Zhiyi,Violet (the new J1),Charlie Brown,Duc,Shannon,Ai Ping,Mimi and Valerie but as we couldn't decide promptly where we were having dinner, the Tenors left to find their own makan place. Val and Mimi ended up going home and the rest of us went to Eastpoint Foodcourt. Fact of the day: Duc IS very funny. Besides the fact that he's gross at times (digging his butt and ear and whatever hole he has and touching us after that!), he can really make people laugh..hahaha...

Ok! I'm off! =)

=)

A Silly Poem

Said Hamlet to Ophelia,

I'll draw a sketch of thee,

What kind of pencil shall I use?

2B or not 2B?

---Terence Alan Milligan---

Hahaha....sometimes I wish I could have the skill of writing good poetry and not wait for inspiration to hit before coming up with a good piece. For Mimi and Shannon, I guess the task of writing good poetry comes easy for them as they have been honing their skills for years and they're good at their trade.

I guess I understand how Mimi feels when she blogs about being anti-social and stuff. It's like it takes extra effort for introverts like me to open up to people easily and like what Mimi says, everytime you talk to someone, you're revealing bits of yourself. And if you say something unintended accidentally, people will characterise you according to what you've said and sometimes what you've said doesn't reflect your true self. Well, sounds complicated eh? So, the best thing to do is to keep your mouth shut. This is only a temporary measure as you'll not risk saying something odd but if this happens permanently, people might take the silence as being cold,aloof or even as a sign of pride or anti-social behaviour. Therefore, Singapore has been emphasising public speaking amongst youths by allowing active learning in classrooms through discussions and presentations, which I dread the most. However, I must say that all these platforms have helped but only to a minimal extent. It still doesn't change my introverted personality and the fact that I prefer to listen rather than speak.

Well, just a thought for the day!

Er Yi's birthday and teacher comparisons (ooOooOOooOO!!)

Today I learnt something new: I realise how commanding Lorraine Lee can be. Despite having lost her voice, she can still silence the whole lecture theatre with one glare of her doe-like eyes! Hahahaha..but she's good in what she does and thus she deserves such respect.

Moving on, our first Human Geog lesson was not bad either. I think I'll love Human Geog even more because of Mr Sahlan! when we first step into the classroom for his lesson, a powerpoint slideshow with the title "WELCOME TO GEOGRAPHY COURSE" was emblazoned in bold,blue letters across the top and a picture of his face with his name adorned the bottom..HAHAHAHAHA!! Apparently, we learnt after that that the powerpoint presentation was about him with the next slide talking about himself. (This time, the headlines were "Geography Tutor" and "My Greatest Pride and Achievements" in the following slides!)

For GP, as we were in the Arts & Culture Elective programme, we were made to conduct a very interesting experiment of creating a sub-culture in TPJC. Rachel, Rhyss and I were thinking about tying our hair in 2 ponytails besides the one that Mrs Chew suggested: using Ziploc as your pencil case. We had to remain in our sub-cultured way until the end of this week, observe the reactions that people gave (be it positive or negative, although I'm quite sure that they'll be mostly the latter response!) and give an account of the whole experience. Interesting eh?

Anyways, Charlene is the new gospel singer of 06A03. She brought her GMSS Songbook and belted out hymns during Break. Her singing was so infectious/contagious that it prompted potential gospel singers Lizard, Geraldine and Rhyss to croon along with her.MUAHAHAHA!! But it certainly brought back fond memories... "His love is warmer than the warmest sunshine, softer than a sigh..."

GP test today saw many climaxes and anti-climaxes due to the constant blackouts in LT1, 6 times in total to be precise. Charlie Brown was taking the opportunity to perfect his animal shadow techniques with his flashlight of a handphone and Ai Ping gave an impromptu performance of "Singing in the Rain" with her sudden burst of her HUGE umbrella opening...

To end today's entry, I'll just show some photos (as usual!) of my 2nd Aunt's surprise birthday which I threw yesterday at GMH.





Er Yi opening her present from Maib

See how thrilled Er Yi is...

Er Yi with Ma Ma and Gong Gong

Er Yi with Ma Ma and Gong Gong who isn't looking

She just can't wait to devour the thing!

Coffee and Peanut cake from Polar Cakes and Puffs (budget la!)