Posting Results are out and no, it's not IJ.

So posting results were out yesterday and no, I didn't get posted back to my alma mater. Disappointed? Of course I am but as what many have been telling me, God must have his reasons for sending me there and I just got to trust in him. Personally, I don't have an issues with the school that I'm posted to, in fact, I've been hearing many good things about the school from my peers and have been told to count my blessings, which I know I should. But I can't help but feel disappointed. After all, I was really looking forward to teaching at my alma mater. I had pictured myself teaching in the school, surrounded by girls wearing the blue pinafoe and white blouse.But oh well, I guess there will be other chances in the future. My ex teacher from ij actually told me that she will keep me posted if there are openings in ij in the future, how sweet. =)

Yes, so I should move on and get ready for the new experience ahead. Like what my friend said, there will be students in every school that need our help, and yes, at the end of the day, we are doing it for the kids. I remember how I was so apprehensive when I was first posted to my ESE school, because it's a co-ed school and all my life I've been so used to being in a girls school. But in the end, I thoroughly enjoyed myself there, and the students were just great. Hence, I should really keep an open-mind and be positive, there will be lots to learn from this school.

So this is me now, feeling disappointed and yet also excited at the same time. I hope the disappointment will fade away soon (yes it will!!)and I'll be rearing to go and start work in the new environment. =)

To all my NIE friends: We're all in this together and remember, ultimately, it's all for the kids =)


So long 2010! Welcome 2011!

Yes I know, reflections should have been done on the last day of 2010 and not on the first day of 2011 but inertia got to me yesterday, well, better late than never!

2010...a very very eventful year, and I would think it was a year of more ups than downs, or at least I remember the ups better. Think positive mah!

Completing my ISM and graduating from NUS
Though the process was tiring at times, the satisfaction of completing it and the grade that I got made up for everything. It's just great to research about something I like I guess, and moreover doing it under the supervision of my favourite professor, what a nice way to end it all. 4 years in NUS came to an end just like that, but the memories that came with these 4 years will always stay with me for as long as my goldfish memory can remember.

Graduation Trips

I went for a total of 3 grad trips this year, some long, some short but that doesn't matter, it's the company that is most important. =) Taiwan, Bali and Hong Kong, tiring it may seem but it was truly a great experience. Being thrust in a foreign land, you learn new things about yourself and about others, about things you will not encounter on a daily basis or when you are in your comfort zone. One thing I learned about myself is that I can actually read maps! Map reading in secondary school was a killer for me and it still is, but navigating around shopping districts or cities seem to be easier for me.

ESE



A very busy period for me, but I truly learned a lot from this experience. My lovely students, my wacky CT, my friendly fellow ESE colleagues, all these contributed to my very enriching and enjoyable 9 weeks at the school. Truth to be told, I was actually quite sad to leave when the time was up. I am truly very blessed to have been sent there and I hope my next appointment will be equally enjoyable.

NIE Sem 1


one word to describe this first sem? SHAGGED!Never have I feel so drained churning out essays after essays such that I was no longer concerned with whether it was a good essay or whether I will get a decent grade. I just wanted to churn them out and hand them in so as to pass the module. The satisfaction of completing an essay was totally missing and I have not fallen ill so often before this. Nonetheless, I learned a lot from these few months in NIE too, how to interact with students, how to set exam papers etc...in fact I learned so much that I don't know where to start or what strategies to use when I have to write my lesson plans. Hopefully next sem will be equally informative but less stressful. =)

A new edition to the Yam family

Yes, there is now another Mrs Yam in the family. One more person to dote on me!!haha

Ending it with a bang in KL

After the few months of blood sweat and tears in NIE, I desperately needed a break to recharge and it was great to get away from Singapore, even though it was just a few days. Though our KL trip wasn't exactly smooth-sailing, with hostel and bus hiccups and me losing my voice, but the company made up for everything and I truly enjoyed myself =) Jumping, walking and climbing, the much needed exercise after months of hibernation in NIE.

So you see, 2010 has indeed been an eventful "UP" year for me, and hopefully 2011 will be equally "UP"! Have a Blessed 2011 everyone!!


Yet another sleepless night...

I detest awkward situations and the agony of having to reject people =(

About 2.5 months ago, before I started my stint, I was very certain that I wanted to go back to the school which had a special place in my heart, but since I had no say for this stint, I just went into my allocated school with an open mind, hoping to make the best of what I can get. However, after interacting with the students, the teachers, the entire school culture, I realised, this was a great place to be after all, and I actually liked it here (plus it's so near my home!)..so I was swayed, and changed my mind. Moreover, I thought that the chances of me returning to ij would be rather silm, since I stay so far from the school.

However, my ESE school couldn't confirm if there'll be vacancies next year and at the same time, my sec school teacher approached me and said that there were vacancies in my alma mater and asked if I was interested to request to come back and teach. Since this was more definite, and since it was my original intention, I accepted her suggestion and submitted my resume. I thought this was it, I will just wait for them to get back to me, there was nothing else I could do now. But then a few hours ago, one of my CTs gave me a call and said that the school was interested in requesting for me to go back for my practicum..I felt so bad to have to tell her that I was already approached by another school and that I had to turn her down. oh man..why must this be so difficult...真是没有也烦，有也烦:( haiz...this is going to be on my mind the whole night tonight..how to sleep like this...=( sigh...


End of ESE...

After 9 not so long weeks, ESE has finally come to an end =) During the past 9 weeks, even though I seem to be busier than some of my peers that were posted to other schools, I was truly very happy. The satisfaction that a teacher receives when her students finally understand a new concept is priceless. All the time and effort spent preparing for the lesson was all worth it.=)

Of course, the students themselves also made my short stint in the school very enjoyable. The way they responsed to my questions in class, the way they are so enthusiastic about the weird games I conduct during my lessons, the way they greeted me when they bump into me along the corridor...all these memories will stay with me for a long time...=)





Besides the students, my fellow co-workers also contributed to my great time at the school. We would hang out together, complain about our bad experiences etc etc..all these kept me sane throughout this experience.



And lastly, my SSD and my CTs, who took great care of me. My SSD was always checking on us, making sure that we were alright and that we had everything we needed. As for my CTs, they gave me the free rein to try out activities with my classes, and helped me whenever I had any queries. They gave me the chance to try out tasks which I never did during my internship, such as marking test papers, creating mind-maps etc...all these contributed to my very fruitful ESE. What made it even more special was that one of my CTs is a senior from my secondary school, hence we really bonded as we had the same type of personality and culture...this became one of the highlights of my ESE.=)





Overall, I really enjoyed myself during the past 9 weeks =) Am actually feeling quite empty and sad now that it's over, the students were really sweet, asking me not to go and everything, and some of them even cried after viewing my farewell ppt to them..that really touched me a lot and made me even more certain that I want to be a good teacher, to educate these young minds and to guide them as they move into their next phase of life. =)


Giving it a Shot

If I don't make the first move and try, the chances of it ever happening is 0%. But if I give it a shot and yet still do not succeed, at least I know I have done what I can and will have no regrets/spend the rest of my life lamenting over how it might have been possible had I dared to venture a try. So yes, I should give it a shot and hopefully my wish will come true.

Time to train myself to be more thick-skin.


Rice Bowl

Just finish reading the above mentioned book. When I first bought the book, I was merely expecting a novel that is set in 1960s Singapore. However, little did I know that the book will have such a large extent of "political" underpinnings. The book got me thinking a bit, am I like Marie, the idealistic woman (who almost became a Catholic nun)who went all out to "make a difference" (although in the end things did not turn out as she had expected), or am I like Paul, the high-ranking bureaucratic who goes by the book and believes in adapting to the environment rather than changing the environment?

I can certainly say that I'm almost 80-90% like Paul, but is that bad? In the story, Paul seems to be on the losing end, while Marie doesn't lose as much, as she ends up with the man she loves and leaves for America with him.

I don't think it's wrong to like orderliness,to like to maintain things as they are and to strive for prosperity and stability for our country, to sacrifice some degree of individualism in order to benefit the entire nation. Is this a very middle class mentality? Maybe it is, but we can't deny that policies like public housing, compulsory education etc have indeed benefited a wide spectrum of people, from the lower classes to the higher classes. Maybe the degree of benefits differ, but utimately, most still benefit! Let's face it, the world is not flat, aka, there will always be disparities and inequalities. We can't possibly make everyone as wealthy and affluent as everybody else. To allow the majority of a nation to enjoy at least a basic standard of living is already very remarkable.

Hence I actually think Paul deserves a better "ending", instead of him being a so-called loser of this whole story (left all alone to walk along the street). Of course, the author did hint at Marie's failings, but Marie seems to overlook them as she continues to garner attention and admiration even at the airport. Well, this is just my own afterthoughts and opinions, anyone can feel free to differ from them =)


Saying for the day

By affirming a person's goodness, we contribute towards making the person a better person.


So instead of concentrating on people's flaws, why not look at the situation from a different angle and see the better light of a person?

-For the one who receives more pardon from God will be the one who ends up loving God more-


The One on my FINAL final Uni Grades

Many events have yet to be blogged about, such as my 3 grad trips to Taiwan, Bali and Hong Kong respectively. But I think I shall leave those to my next few posts, still need to organise my thoughts as well as my photos. Anyway, felt that I should blog about my final grades for my 4 years in Uni, after all, I was quite worried and excited over them just a few weeks back.

Subscribed to the sms service for the release of results and so I received them the moment I cleared the customs at Hong Kong. Opened the sms and smiled to myself...4.01..hah!how lucky can one get? Really couldn't contain my happiness after that such that I hugged Min Joo and Xiu Wen in front of the custom "booths" and they were truly happy for me too.=) A nice way to start my trip.

ISM
Got an A- for my ISM and I'm actually really happy about it. I know myself, I'm not the chim chim type, so the things I write will not be that all abstract, I like things to be straightforward, to be to the point, simple and clear. Hence, one part of me was really not expecting too high a grade and yet another part of me, felt that after all the effort I put in for my paper and my love for the Peranakan culture (aka my topic), I deserve to get a better grade. An A- totally satisfied these 2 aspects, it wasn't a fantastic and very thought provoking paper but yet at the same time, I know that my effort were recognised.=)

Remaking the Global Economy
Was very very happy with my grade for this module (A-) because considering we got a B for our report, I really wasn't expecting too much. Shows that my final exams did help to pull up my overall grade and that the time spent mugging for this was well spent=)

Understanding How the Internet Works
Can't believe I got an A for this module, but I did put in the effort to study for the quiz and the grade truly complimented how much I enjoyed this module. I really had tons of fun doing the 2 presentations and I think our creativity did pay off=)

Food in Japan
As expected, I got a really bad grade, a C+!! My one and only C grade for my entire NUS academic life. Darn it! I really have no idea what the tutors/lecturers are looking for and I think they should be more mindful that there are non-JS students taking this module too and hence we are not exactly familiar with how the JS department functions and expects from their students. How can a paper be too academic??I still don't get it!

Yes, so overall, I am really happy with my grades. Sorry for sounding so grade-conscious. Yes, I always say grades arn't everything, and that as long as you have done your very best, you should not worry about what grades you eventually achieve. Yes, I still believe in that and I try not to think about grades while studying. However, after doing my best, and knowing roughly what I am capable of achieving, I still hope to get acceptable grades. WELL, we are living in Singapore, a meritocratic society where ultimately, grades still matter. Yes yes, laugh at me for being a typical Singaporean, but having been brought up in such an environment, it's difficult to say that grades don't matter at all. I guess for me, I believe that every individual has different learning abilities and different talents and everyone should strive to achieve the grade that he or she is capable of achieving. Hence, I believe that I have done my best to achieve the grade I am capable of achieving and am truly satisfied.

Thank you everyone for believing in me too and for accompanying me throughout all the stressful times. I am truly blessed.=)


A Morning I Will Never Forget =)

Sandra is a totally/extremely happy girl today!!

Why?

Coz she caught the sunrise wif


and though the weather was erratic, drizzling a little at the start and then warm and sunny like anything at the end, yanzi was there with us=)


She even distributed food to us personally and she will call each of us by name! (thru our name tag) and another wonderful thing that happened to me was that she spoke to me!! (she initiated it ok!haha)She was curious about my chain and asked if it was Mother Theresa on my pendant, and said she has a similar one from Calcutta. I told her mine was from Rome and then she was like "oh..but she spent her last days in India"...though the conversation was brief, it caught me offguard and I think I am one lucky girl!!=) Even got to take an individual shot with her, but got to wait for the fanclub to send it to me...chao kai xin de!!

She also did her phone interview with 933 in front of us...it was quite funny actually...haha


And of course she played games with us and answered whatever questions we had..how sweet.


Today's hike is really such a meaningful and memorable event. 10 years ago, on the 9th of June, 2000, Yanzi entered the music scene.Now here we are, 10 years later, with her at Mt Faber, celebrating this special day with/for her. Of course, as her fan, I like her smile, her friendliness and everything (she is a da chio bu ok!) but more than just that, her music has really accompanied me through the years, through major exams like O'levels, through stressful moments, through sad times and happpy times. Many a times, I get this energy just by listening to her songs, which have kept me going on through the years and I know they will continue to keep me going as I enter into the next phase(s) of my life=)

Yanzi, Jia You! =)

Anne [TG]
Angel [mei]
Bingde
Cherie
Cindy
Davina [bitsie]
Desiree
Geri Mamemoo [TG]
Hui Qun [Kunie]
Jeremy Arts camp PD
Karven
Karven 2
Leona [gugu]
Lizz Nath
Maye
Michelle aerobics partner
Ming [TG]
Min Hwee
Mel Low
Mr Ng
phoebe
Pui Sze [Chio Bu]
Stephy [TG]
Sal
Robbie
Soon Leong
Toilet Gang Rox
Teebag
Winnie
Xinyu
Xiu wen [Mei]
Yifen
Yuting [Bitsie]
Zhen Yi



Alicia CP Sausage
Big Alvin
Cindy tumbler
Hui min juggly
Liling Miss May Chay
Meng Hui


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Hello. I'm a girl who loves the colours of the rainbow.I also love many things (God.My Family.Toilet Gang.Friends.Stefanie Sun.HK dramas. Singapore dramas), but i dislike anything that is furry and moves. I'm an average girl who just hopes to lead everyday to the fullest.