Enter the Zodiacal Light

2009-11-10T23:19:00.000+08:00

MOVED

2009-10-13T01:10:00.002+08:00

http://modified-persona.tumblr.com/

Its better, wordier, more awesome, and the blogger is back in business after a long hiatus. Keep on reading and tagging yea? The tagboard's still available for comments on the new site! :)

I have moved guys! See you at the new siteeee!!! :)

F1

2009-09-27T19:56:00.001+08:00

Lewis Hamilton should just go take a break. We need somebody new in the F1 Scene, so...

Nico Rosberg for the win! GO TEAM WILLIAMS!

Happy Hari Raya!

2009-09-22T13:17:00.002+08:00

Before I begin, here's a belated HAPPY HARI RAYA to all muslims worldwide! =D

Will update on the latest happenings so far really soon yea?

With regards to the week, it has been great, yet all the fun and laughter is coming to an end.

Mundane life begins again on Thursday, and no I am not looking forward to office :(

The Mistake

2009-09-18T08:08:00.003+08:00

Sometimes its not good to give too much. I've been always putting others before myself, and now I realized how much this has been screwing my life up. People just expect more and more. They dont care about you, no? All they care about is their own happiness.

And when you start to spare some time for yourself doing things you like for a little change, they make noise and throw all kinds of accusations at you, behind your back.

Spending time with yourself, pampering yourself, thats a basis of human rights. By not awarding me this, you're basically treating me no different than an animal, maybe worse.

God made us all with logical thinking, yet unfortunately, I don't see much of that in the human breed today.

Let's not talk about IQ for now, you don't even have much EQ to begin with

The Problem With Celebrities

2009-09-18T08:00:00.004+08:00

And this is exactly the problem with celebrities. Just when they're at the peak of their careers, they forget about their humble beginnings and proceed to do stupid stuff to prove their worth. I won't call that proving one's worth, I call that sheer stupidity

Kanye, how could you be so heartless?

Well, at least Beyonce's still sane. It was really sweet of her to give her moment to Taylor Swift to right the wrong Kanye made.

Is it any wonder still why we all love Beyonce? :)

Memories of UDI

2009-09-15T23:34:00.003+08:00

Memories of yesterday still lingers
That feeling of numb still running through my fingers
Exhausted faces, tired souls, all vivid reminiscence
It's ended, it's gone, now all I hear is total silence

Remember the days with the adrenaline pumping action
With marches and drills all conducted as a section?
Where mistakes were unaccepted, unforgiven not
They had better show standard, or half rights they got

Tests of endurance began with no one to spare
Their ends in sight, that prestigious lanyard to wear
Four gruelling days they withstood, all in the name of perseverance
For the sake of their schools, they nodded in adherence

With the surfacing end, they achieved their goals
They now hold stronger, more defined roles
Matured individuals they are, with discipline uptight
All ready to guide their units towards an ascending flight

Leaders of Apache, Bronco, Cougar and Dragon
Give it your all and see yourself a soaring Falcon
The end of this course marks a new beginning
Towards an excellent unit, of spirits unfaltering

2009-09-07T12:37:00.000+08:00

The empty barrel makes the loudest noise. It sounds as if it has ventured past the seven seas yet it fails to realize that it has only barely tackled the shore

In Conjunction With Teachers Day

2009-09-01T22:44:00.001+08:00

We all have had our own fair share of encounters with teachers at one point or another. They have been there for many decades, educating the future leaders of tomorrow, and they will remain doing that for many years to come. I remember myself as a student back then, and I am sure all of us have questioned the existence of a teacher at one point or another.

What not, we all never had good impressions of teachers back then. Teachers, to us, led easy lives, for in our viewpoint all they did was teach, give us homework and torture us for us to perform at the final year examinations. Teachers were a symbol of misery, as they pushed us and stressed us unnecessarily. However, while there may be some truth to that, we often do not realize how myopic such a viewpoint is.

Coming from someone who had experienced teaching this year, both as a relief teacher and an Assistant Field Instructor, I now fully understand the hustle and tussles of the life of a teacher. It definitely is no easy feat, with teaching comprising only a very small portion of what a teacher does. Whoever knew that teachers had to handle so many other stuff with ongoing meetings, countless administration affairs, marking, the setting of exam papers, just for us to progress and develop our characters to become better individuals? They sacrifice so much for us and though it seems as if they are idling around, they are actually back stage workers who work to help us all survive through the year. They do things in private, and they never announce out loud the many things they do for us. Being humble is one of the virtues of a great teacher.

Truthfully, being a teacher is not an easy one, and contrary to what some might say, it takes more than just any random Tom, Dick or Harry to become one. The roles of the teacher have already shifted off its original course, and teachers nowadays have to do more in order to be seen as outstanding. They aren’t employed to teach, they are employed to teach and perform to ensure their deliveries are interesting enough for the attention span of the students to be sustained. They need to have that special connection with their students in order to reach out to them and make them learn optimally in terms of academics and moral values so as to become good contributors of society in the future. They also need to have good communication skills, be empathetic and understand their students emotions and feelings, know their stuff well and more importantly, be caring and patient in order to succeed for the world of teaching is one full of impending obstacles. These obstacles are there, you just don’t know when they’ll hit you.

However, despite all the hardship a teacher goes through, I am proud to say that neither of these factors will stop me from becoming one. I’ve had many different responses whenever I say that I would like to be a teacher. Some were really encouraging, telling me to pursue this as a career as it suited me and that it was a very noble and respectable job. Many others though, thought I was crazy to even think of going down that route for the hardship and stress I would be going through. To them, being a teacher is not satisfying enough as the pay is not equivalent to the stress teachers go through. Dealing with problematic students also form part of the reason why the idea of being a teacher turns them off immediately. These people have bold dreams and would rather aspire to become world class businessmen or engineers who earn tens of thousands rather than go down the conventional route to become a teacher.

Having said all that, my passion still lies in the path of a teacher. I realized that I absolutely love being in the company of teachers and students as there are really a lot that we can learn just by being with them. More than anything else, it gives me great satisfaction when I see my students and cadets grow and progress from who they originally were. I’ve had my fair share of encounters with students, and many times have I felt this great sense of achievement within myself when my students and I simply connect . When my students grasp all that I have taught and show improvement in their exams, it makes me happy. When I tackle students with disciplinary issues and they finally go up to me one day to tell me I have impacted their lives, the satisfaction attained is overwhelming. Seriously, there’s nothing better like enriching the lives of the young and knowing you were part of that process. These lives you impacted will remember you all the way, and I dare say ten years down the road, should you meet any of them, they will still remember you clearly and tell you how thankful they are to you for all that you have done for them. The respect you earn from these people, the special bond you create with them, all these lasts a lifetime and that’s something money cannot buy.

Not even the tens and thousands you earn from being a world class businessman or an engineer

So to all those out there who are teachers, be it whether you're a piano teacher, religious class teacher, school teacher, tuition teacher or any form of teacher, thank you for all you have done. This day is specially for you and you truly deserve it.

HAVE A HAPPY TEACHERS DAY! =D

2009-08-27T11:04:00.002+08:00

Back from IPPT, and looks like I survived with a pass :)

I actually managed to do 8 pull ups this time round! HURRAY!

The run went horrible and I flunked it, but at least the time was a passable time, so not to worry. The fact I finished it while fasting early in the morning in itself is already left me very satisfied with myself.

Now's the enduring part.. Thirsty, thirsty, I need water and I can only get what I want in 8 hours and 7 minutes.

The Second Challenge

2009-08-27T06:45:00.002+08:00

Survived the first round of torment with a really bad skin peel which left me looking as if I attempted skin bleaching....

Now it's part two with IPPT on a fasting day. Imagine having to run 2.4 kilometers with no water at all before and after. It will be tough, but lets see if I survive this one :)

The First Challenge

2009-08-22T06:20:00.002+08:00

No no no, this is definitely NOT the point of drinking so much water in the morning.

Drank a total of 8 glasses in the last 6 hours but I peed like 4 glasses out... You're supposed to stay inside my body to keep me hydrated, not discharge and leave me waterless! Our body works in essentric ways no?

I'm faced with my very first challenge of Ramadhan, and that's to undergo Adventure Training Camp and Level 1 Kayaking Course whilst I'm fasting itself. We all know how dehydrating such activities are, especially kayaking, hence to be able to withstand it for a day without food and drink would be such an achievement

Not to mention, a good plan for a weight loss routine :)

Wish me luck guys!

The "full" effect

2009-08-20T21:55:00.002+08:00

You know, drinking water as you eat really helps fill your stomach so much faster to give you the "full" effect although you're not really there yet.

Hence, for those of you on a slimming regime, why don't you try this? I just realized this. Today I practically ate so many things and I still feel quite hungry, and I suspect the reason for this was cause I did not drink any water together with my food like I usually do.

There, you learnt something new!

2009-08-20T19:01:00.000+08:00

Teenage love breaks more than it makes, so just forget about it...

The shocking loss

2009-08-20T14:11:00.000+08:00

I was just laughing at my brother last week when Liverpool lost and suddenly, this week, karma strikes back at me and Man United loses...

Seriously, how could they have lost to Burnley?

Well, perhaps Burnley could be a little too hot for them to handle at the starting stages, get it, Burnley? Ok lame.

My take on this would be the fact that Van Der Saar, Vidic and Evans were injured and these are part of the key players of Manchester United. When they come back, Manchester United will be in full force, and nothing can stop them from winning the title, just you see.

If you take note of Man U's patterns of playing, that usually is the case for them. Starting off on a not so good note, and slowly working their way to the top much to the amazement of the other teams. I can still remember Man U being 7 points behind Liverpool last season and I felt it was the end, but suddenly things happened and Man U triumphed over Liverpool and the rest in the end to claim the title.

We all have our bad weeks, maybe this week is just man u's bad week.

Don't worry, we'll come back.

And I'll gleefully await the day your team has its bad week :)

Cuteness redefined

2009-08-19T19:43:00.004+08:00

Primary school kids can really have very cute antics... They're simply so innocent, it seems almost impossible to scold them although they really deserve it sometimes.

Situation 1
I came across 2 students arguing and proceeded to try to resolve the issue.

Student A: Teacher, you see lah he!

Student B: What! I didn't do anything, you don't anyhow.

Student A: You don't lie lah! You say liverpool not good just now.

Student B: Ya, say like that also cannot izzit?

Student A: Liverpool very good, you don't anyhow say they very bad. Bad, bad, man U then bad!

And I was dumbfounded for the first time. Arguing over trivial matters, and although I had to stop to intervene, I must say I found this situation quite hilarious. I never thought football would play THAT much an influence in the lives of primary school kids but how wrong I was. HAHA! I swear, a normal person would have received a lecture from me for condemning Man U that way but hey, he was just too cute to be lectured :)

Situation 2
As shocking as this may seem, I took a malay class today, and gosh was the class so hyperactive. The kids would not let me get even one minute's worth of rest, as they all proceeded to somehow get my attention by doing funny things. Some would jump across and shout for me, some would run across the class and some would just pull my hand and bring me to their desk to have a 'chat' with me. They all gathered around me and demanded to know my real age, like some protest or something. I told them I was 19, and THEY DID NOT BELIEVE ME! They all claimed I look more like a secondary school kid who just finished his O Levels and they wanted to know what secondary school I came from and how well I did for my O Levels. I insisted that I was already in NS and past my A Levels and nobody really wanted to buy my story until...

Student C: He look like 23 la! I think he married already, cause my father get married at 18.

Its amazing to see how young children behave around you, and its really fun to get to listen to how they feel about issues. Surprisingly, these kids are actually quite well informed if you ask me.

Being around kids just makes my day. Perhaps this is the route for me in the future I guess.

But then again, being around kids can be a rather saddening thing, for it reminds us that we're not as young as we once were. They have pure innocent minds, whilst ours are corrupted and too filled with unnecessary knowledge.

Sometimes I have this wish that I could start off as a little boy all over again

3 months in

2009-08-19T14:29:00.015+08:00

Gosh the evilness of work made so so caught up in it that I totally forgot for a moment that I actually have a blog to update! hehe.. so sorry to my readers for the long hiatus, so here's an update regarding whatever that has been happening so far:

For a start, I guess most of whatever that has been happening so far goes to NCDCC. The unit I've been posted to for my NS vocation seems like a heavenly one. People say that being an NCDCC officer is like being on cloud 9, cause all you do is slack, scold people and continue the cycle daily without having to care about anything else that's going on around us. People keep insisting we, as officers, lead a slacky life cause face it, as much as we want to be appreciated, we are not operational people. If there were a war in Singapore, do we as officers get mobolized? No, hence we get looked down upon.

But here's my question to you, WHO educates the young regarding civil defence so as to allow them to get a better picture of what to do during times of emergency. As much as people think we're living a great life, they fail to see the bigger picture, or rather whatever happens behind. The many sleepless nights, countless proposals and phonecalls made, pre-event preparation, stress and anxiety, we experience this on a weekly basis. And don't you forget, we too have our own social lives to lead. The very fact that we're devoting our lives as officers to cadets show how dedicated we are in serving our nation. We work on most days and there is a price to pay for this, which is that we sacrifice our social lives just for the nation.

I don't know if anybody is actually far sighted enough to weigh the factors up to this point, but well if you did, then probably you'll get whatever I've been blabbering about. Period.

On the brighter side, here's all that has been happening in NCDCC for me:

Going down to schools on a weekly basis to conduct talks, lessons and many other aspects of learning related to NCDCC. Its fortunate that I've been posted to NCDCC, a vocation close to something really fond to me, which is teaching. I've got this passion towards teaching others, and there really is this big sense of satisfaction attained when you see your students learn from whatever you have been trying to bring across to them. Footdrill, first aid, its really heartwarming when they credit their success to you and inform you that you have helped make an impact upon their lives. The picture above was taken 2 weeks back when I went down to Juying Secondary School to teach the NCDCC cadets first aid dressing. Tough it was, and I was really afraid that I screwed up big time, but at the end of it I realized that the cadets did learn something from myself and they even requested for myself to come back in future to educate them as they personally told me that they feel comfortable and enjoy my presence there as an educator towards them. Touching words, and such are the pleasures I experience which make me press on with every little bit of motivation I get.

There are times where things get really stressed up and you feel as if you just want to give up, then these are the times where the colleagues, friends and cadets really play a part in encouraging you to press on. Its just been 3 months, yet I'm really glad to have met all these people who have been with me throughout...

The awesomest people you'll ever get to work with in my opinion :)

And to end it all off, this is the vocation that has enabled me to gain so much experience that I would never have garnered elsewhere. Just three months in, yet so many experiences gained. This is the beauty of NCDCC. One event I'll really remember would be being involved in NDP 2009 as a trainer for the NCDCC marching contingent. This really made me realize how much effort and hard work is put in by all the participants each year just to make NDP a stupendous event for Singaporeans to watch and enjoy. It may be in August, but training starts way early, in fact as early as March or April, and seeing the pre-preparations made in front of my very eyes made me realize how much we ought to appreciate all these people working behind the scenes just to make sure that NDP runs smoothly. I was honoured, and that patriotic feeling towards Singapore in me did increase by a few notches, just because this time round I was an active participant instead of a passive viewer.

Just five months in, and I'm sure there are many more opportunities for me, just waiting for me to open the door when it's knocked upon...

I'm blessed to be surrounded by these people, I really am. This year's in fact, one of the worst years ever for me, having been rejected for so many things so many times, some of which are seriously once in a lifetime opportunities. Its painful to know that, yet I always believe that there's a reason why everything is happening. To be frank its hard to believe this when a blow comes at you consecutively without giving you enough space to breathe and absorb the full impact. Yet these are the very people who have both directly and indirectly helped me through the tough times.

They give me reason to believe.

The booksmart or the streetsmart?

2009-07-28T22:18:00.000+08:00

Its been a while since I last wrote an argumentative essay, but this question has truly been bothering me, hence I really need to express this out or I think I'll just burst.

Of course all of us would really love to have both but given a choice, would you rather be book smart or street smart?

Before we actually proceed on, being book smart simply means "succeeding academically" . By saying someone is a booksmart it basically means that the person is your typical high flier with a varieties of certificates and A grades to produce when asked for it. The scholar.

well street smart on the other hand is defined as "having the shrewd resourcefulness needed to survive in an urban environment"

If you ask me on my personal opinion, I would have to say that being street smart would be my pick should I be given only one of these 2 choices.

Being a street smart means that we have all the skills needed to survive in today's society. Its not so much of communication, all of us can communicate. Its a matter of whether we're proficient enough at communicating via our methods and skills. At also I feel that in today's society, to survive we've gotta have EQ. Without EQ, its goinna be really difficult for us to socialize with others cause many at times we may say the wrong things and all without even realizing it.

Hence in this sense I feel being a street smart is really important.

Being street smart gets you the necessary skills to be employed. A street smart can aim to study hard enough to finally achieve both aspects and perform really well in his career.

A book smart, on the other hand, simply cannot, for his strength lies in the realm of the brain, with words words words. He simply does not have much experience in the real world to make it big. The booksmart can really be clever and go on to get degrees and masters, but is that really all that matters in todays society? We are judging humans by pieces of papers and not how well skilled they are, isnt that ridiculous? This might sound like the case here in Singapore but I firmly believe the traditional idea of looking out for skills is still important.

If being booksmart really did matter to Singapore, they would not have implemented the rule with regards to CCA and Direct Schools Admission via skills and talent. They would not have reiterated the importance of being all rounded apart from simply being academically inclined.

Remember 'The Apprentice'? There was this particular season where the booksmarts were pitted against the streetsmarts and who in the end survived? Not the one with the degrees. The streetsmarts had the necessary experience to sell their products and interact with customers while the booksmarts simply relied on their textbook knowledge to help them do the job, which was a wrong move.

Albert Einstein wasnt a booksmart. Well, yes he may be intelligent enough to come up with his own formulas and all, but he was afterall a street smart. A dropout of school who worked his way around this entire episode known as a failure by many, to eventually make it big as one of the world's most respectable figure.

Evidently, the street smart still wins at the end of the day.

Liverpool VS Singapore Match

2009-07-26T21:26:00.002+08:00

I swear, I actually had faith in Singapore doing well for this match against Liverpool. The way they played during the first half was rather convincing and here I was thinking that they would at least be good enough to draw against the 'legendary' Liverpool but no how wrong I was.

Mistake number one: Slacking off during the final few seconds of the game leading up to half time

And that really did cost Singapore. No, it was not merely an issue of ONE goal, rather it was the beginning of a sliding downhill confidence and spirit. The lions were really bothered by this one goal, we can tell, and this led to them letting in another FOUR goals to make it a grand total of five goals.

Then again, kudos to Singapore for fighting on and giving it all they've got despite being really thrashed by the liverpool players. One watching the match could easily note the difference, especially in speed, of the players of both sides. It really was a contrasting difference.

Ohh well, things happen. Its alright Singapore, use this as a learning point and work hard towards the next match. We all start off with a couple of failures, but what really matters is we don't give up in climbing up that ladder of success. Well done Singapore for this aspect.

As for Liverpool, yes congrats, you beat Singapore fair and square. Your much needed confidence boost is here. Don't you just love that familiar feeling of happiness and satisfaction after having lost to Manchester United in the Premiere League not too long ago? :)

Solar eclipse

2009-07-22T22:55:00.002+08:00

One of the disadvantages of living in Singapore, clearly, is the fact that we do not get to experience the things the other parts of the world get to experience, and a good example would be the recent solar eclipse.

There they were all enthusiastic about this phenomenon that occurs once in a blue moon and here we all are living our daily lives as usual cause well, it was not even able to be witnessed in Singapore. At around the time the eclipse occurred, I was in a meeting which ended about 3 to 4 hours later.

Awesome =X

Anyone managed to catch the solar eclipse?

New hobby!

2009-07-21T23:33:00.001+08:00

A new found hobby, PHOTOSHOP! =D

Picking up new things can be rather annoying when you don't get it, but when you finally do the feeling is just indescribable. That being said, I still have alot to learn before I reach world class status.

Bleah, cya guys!

2009-07-16T16:28:00.003+08:00

Never take someone for granted
Hold every person close to your heart
Because you might wake up one day
And realize you've lost a diamond
While you were too busy collecting stones

Rejected...again

2009-07-15T06:54:00.004+08:00

My theory all this while has been true afterall. NS DOES close many windows of opportunity for us all involved in it and it's really annoying to know this.

I was originally selected as an emcee for the Youth Olympic Games but now they sent me another mail to 'reject' me and inform me that they have posted my name to another department to help out. Yes, I'm still in the Sports Department itself, but I have been denied perhaps what's seemed as the most prestigious role in YOG for me, being an enthusiast in the area of emceeing. The inability to commit myself thanks to my hectic schedule in NS was perhaps it.

Man, this six months has been really horrible, perhaps one of the darkest moments of my life ever I must say. There are times I really feel like just giving it all up but I will fight on. I need to brave through this, strong. In everything that happens there must be a reason. Yes, there must. Maybe in all that has happened, there is a silver lining and I'll emerge a stronger better person.

At least if you post me to the disc jockeying department I promise I won't be so annoyed

ASIAN YOUTH GAMES 2009

2009-07-10T07:04:00.009+08:00

And another memory was created. Asian Youth Games 2009 was awesome, and though I didnt manage to help out in the closing ceremony, well I was part of the opening ceremony! It didn't feel like work though, with the presence of those I love around me making the entire process enjoyable. Interacting with the foreigners as I ushered them to their seats and back was also a really cool experience as I managed to learn more about their varying cultures which impressed me alot. Of course there was this huge language barrier stopping us from communicating further, yet we countered this by using hand signs as well as basic english. When the heart wants to do something, it will find a way about the obstacles hindering it :)

Some pictures from the event itself:

Nasrul and Michal! I'm really proud of my two flag bearers representing NCDCC :)

Trevor! I kinda like this shot, it shows two people looking towards their futures with full of anticipation.

Syahir and Prakash!

My dearest senior male HO's! It rocks having them around.

Sakinah the female HO! Her jokes lighten up the day, and without her around I dare say that work would not have been as exciting and fun as it was that day :)

And the 2 pictures I took with my Asian new found friends. I'm missing them already!

Newfound friends made, and the bond remains there forever to come

2009-07-10T07:02:00.002+08:00

I'm in need of music therapy. The many things I'm currently handling are enough to make me suicidal =X

And I just realized I havent been listening to the radio as much! Its about time I started don't you think so?

DRAG ME TO HELL

2009-07-02T11:05:00.004+08:00

I have long been waiting for a movie to freak me out beyond wit's end. The last movie to do that to me was, well, exorcist, and the rest of the movies that came after were just prain lame. Today's mindset of a horror movie is simply ghosts, pontianaks, skulls that go around chasing after people and we have seen way too many of such scenes to actually be scared, hence contributing to the failure of horror movies nowadays. Come on directors, wake up your ideas.

That was before Sam Raimi entered the scenes with Drag Me To Hell. Personally when I first heard this title, I was convinced it was another failure attempt at a horror flick, but after seeing how reviews gave it so much credit, I was determined to give it a watch myself.

The experience, my friends, was simply one of a kind.

The director definitely knows how to make good use of his genres to come up with an amazingly unforgettable movie. For starters, the ghosts inside this movies arent actually your normal floating females and skulls, but rather, an old woman.

Yes you heard me, an old woman whose back for vengeance biting people with her false teeth. As ridiculous as this may seem, it was true. I don't know why, but I personally get more fear and excitement watching horror flicks with old women and witches being the ones scaring people. They do a way better job than anyone else, probably because of the chilling aura surrounding them as a result of us hearing freaky stories about witches and all back during our young days. They are more despicable, they kill.

Another thing which amazed me was the fact that this movie was not all about horror. Can you imagine yourself both laughing and screaming during a horror flick? Well I thought this was impossible too, until I watched this movie. It's a dash of comedy while the rest are specially reserved for the horror scenes. You'll never know what to expect. One moment you could be laughing out loud due to the hilarious scenes and the next second you'll choke as your laughter turns into screams of fear due to the sudden appearance of a horror scene.

Finally, it actually gives you a test of your morals. The director made the movie in such a way that the victim was faced with many morally challenging questions that would be bound to make you think and reflect upon what you would do if you were given the same position.

For example, if you were given a cursed object and told that you would be haunted all your life unless you have it away as a present to someone else who would suffer for you, would you then do it to save your life? Are you willing to let someone else suffer and die in exchange for your own life?

Don't ask me, I wouldn't know what to do either.

Watch it guys, it's definitely worth your money for all the goosebumps and exciting opinions you're going to have by the time you step out of the movie theatre. Beware, this movie is going to drag you out of your seat :)

RANDOM STORY I WROTE

2009-06-27T00:35:00.002+08:00

The loud clashing sound created by the thunder rudely interrupted the peaceful serenity of the atmosphere. Zack looked up to see what was once a sunny sky fast turning dark with cumulonimbus clouds. A strong gust of wind flew by, furiously sweeping the many dead leaves surrounding him. He knew a storm was approaching yet he chose to ignore the tell tales. He was just too hurt to care.

"Zack, I'm sorry, but this relationship is going nowhere. It has to end right here.. right now"

She did it almost too easily. She might have done it on impulse, but couldn't she at least spare a thought for his feelings as well? Two years of happiness and hardship was seriously no joke but she seemed willing to leave them altogether waiting for them to be blown far away as they get carried away by the winds high up into the sky, to be forgotten and never to be rediscovered.

"Why Amy? Why must this happen?"

By this time Zack felt the first few drops of rain on his cold bare hands. Normally instinct would tell him to hurry up in order to find shelter but this time round, the impact from the break up caused him to ditch instinct and simply lie out there in the open.

He still could not get over the fact that she presented him with a really dumb reason for their break up, which was that he was not spending enough quality time with her. She knew his schedule was packed yet she made it an obligation for him to pick her up from work and send her home everyday of the week. She claimed that he could not understand her needs enough, but she failed to see the big irony behind this, which was the fact that she herself could not understand his own needs.

He badly wanted this to happen, but no. Perhaps this just wasn't meant to be.

2009-06-21T23:37:00.002+08:00

Move away from the darkness, before you fall deeper into the shadows

In times of failure, there are only two things one can do, which is to give up or to bounce back up. Many at times we find ourselves stuck between these 2 situations. Yes, failure is not an excuse for us to give up, yet if we were to think about it, with every failure the bounce back up just gets harder and harder.

How much more are we willing to give in before we finally decide enough is enough?

2009-06-16T06:47:00.005+08:00

Being sick at this time of the month, especially when I've got truckloads of work to do, is definitely not a good thing...

Work's finally beginning to show its true colours and just experiencing the tip of the iceberg is enough to exhaust me out to the brink of sickness..

Weak? No, its just a matter of adapting I guess. You may say my job is easy but think again, you're just suffering physically whilst I get an added mental torture to come with the entire package. Cool? =X

On the brighter side, here's something I came across whilst bloghopping that day. We all have our ugly sides, even the 7 princesses of Disney. HAHA! Hope you guys are amused by this sight we rarely get to behold. Thanks Shahidah! :)

Have an awesome week ahead!

[Inessa]
HAHA i told you the parody was awesome. Yeap Singaporeans are really good when it comes to parodies. Im pretty sure you're much aware of the SARS song and all made back when you were still in Singapore. I must compliment our kind for being creative people! :)

IMPORTANT REMINDER

2009-06-10T23:29:00.003+08:00

The flu and other funny illnesses are up and out to get us all, so everybody, here's a little something to remind yourselves to practice good hygiene! HAHA ENJOY! I found this really entertaining and needless to say, the message was brought across in a really ingenious way!

RANDOM

2009-05-31T09:05:00.002+08:00

When you're free, we're really really busy.
However, when you're really really busy, we're free.

Welcome to the life of an NCDCC instructor.

Which reminds me... Its a Sunday today but I'm deployed down to Changi for camp.
And I came back at 12 am last night due to parade.

YIKES! =X

My MP3 died on me, so I guess its time to get a new one. Its really essential for long and boring trips when I have to go over to schools in the east or get deployed somewhere really far away from home like Changi. If not I swear, I'll get bored to death and that won't be a good thing.

The music freak in Zul has spoken :)

TAGGED: 8 CHILDHOOD MOVIES

2009-05-23T13:08:00.010+08:00

I can always count on my friends to be cool and innovative! Thanks Syazwani for the awesome idea...

Instructions:
1. Copy and paste the instructions into a new entry.
2. List down 8 stories that you remember watching as a kid.
3. Write why you chose each movie.
4. Publish your answers.
5. Tag 5 friends to do this including the one that tagged you.

ONE: THE LITTLE MERMAID

I think this was the very first movie I watched as a child, if I remembered correctly. My dad loved taping down his voice reading storybooks and I'd listen endlessly to the stories, The Little Mermaid being one of them. A really sweet show, and I remember how I used to hate Ursula the witch as a child. The scene where she grabbed the Little Mermaid and her boyfriend with her tentacles, I wished I could just break off those annoying tentacles and allow The Little Mermaid and her boyfriend to live in peace. HAHA!

TWO: ALADDIN

And this is the second, and final fairytale in my list of 8. As a kid, I was really into the idea of magic as a kid and this element was greatly emphasized in the movie! =) Flying carpet, genie in a lamp, an annoying wizard with the ability to do magic, I still remember the movie well up till today. It is an awesome watch!

THREE: THE LAND BEFORE TIME

The only dinosaur show I watched. Up till today, I still havent watched any of the Jurassic Park movies ... This movie is really touching, a movie with great values for us all to learn from. Tell me, who hasn't heard of "If We Hold On Together?"

FOUR: THE SEED OF CHUCKY

Ahh this movie! At first I was fooled into thinking it was a movie for kids as there was a male doll and a female doll, and you know how dolls are associated with kids. How wrong I was, the movie was absolutely gory and gruesome. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting to you my first horror movie.

FIVE: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

Following that first horror movie, I started exploring more horror movies cause I liked the thrill from watching one. This horror flick is possibly one of the better ones, with the plot about people dying from living their worst nightmares. I like how the plot was really well srcripted with really original ideas, unlike today's horror movies which are bland and boring. We all need a blast to the past!

One, two, buckle my shoe
Don't sleep, don't sleep, Freddy's coming

SIX: THE SOUND OF MUSIC

This has got to make it into the list for all the children lovers. No, not referring to the paedophiles, but for all of us who really love children as young innocent cute ones, cause they were really adorable in this movie. Back in primary school, my music teacher especially would keep playing this movie to us all just for us to understand the origins behind that "Do Re Mi" song ... Remember that scene when the nanny sings to her children with a guitar on the hill to make them remember the music notes? Classic.

SEVEN: HOME ALONE

This has got to be the talk of the town back when I was a kid. In fact, this movie was so popular there were three other movies following the first successful one. I really enjoyed this movie just being stunned at the intelligence of the main actor in using creative methods to ward off the burglars from his home. Kids, learn from this.

EIGHT: THE PARENT TRAP

And my final show, the parent trap. Ahh bet you guys forgot about this show did you? A really enjoyable show about a pair of twins out to trick their parents into sending them to boarding school. Lindsay Lohan was sooo cute in this movie, and I used to remember being rather confident that she would grow up to be pretty elegant lady based on the image she portrayed on the Parent Trap. Well guys, sometimes things can happen along the way. Read between the lines, heh ... Either way, this movie is still a great one!

And the lucky five I would looove to tag are:

Tyqa, Vivian, Angela, Inessa, Shahidah

Doing this was actually amusing, fun and therapeutic. Guys, try it! :)

AMERICAN IDOL HYPE

2009-05-22T11:17:00.005+08:00

As I came back home from camp, I realized how backdated I was cause by the time I actually settled down to look through my emails and facebook accounts, I finally realized the overwhelming hype with regards to American Idol.

Its amazing to note how people can be so emotive over a talent show like American Idol when it does not really concern them to begin with. Just take a look at how the media has influenced us all.

Alright, now for my two pence worth of thoughts...

This season finale of American Idol was very much like that of the previous American Idol finals. Back then if we all remember correctly, it was the David squared showdown between David Archuleta and David Cook. Two really talented singers sharing that one stage, and of the two, many of them expected Archuleta to win due to his awesome powerhouse vocals that would melt the hearts of even those with hearts of stone. Its really that powerful. Nobody can forget the time Simon mentioned that Archuleta was bound to win and all of us were almost certain he would bring home the crown, till the unexpected happened and Cook ended up winning.

Compare that with this season, and you will see the starking similarity. Lambert against Kris, both awesome on stage performers as well, and just when all of us expected Lambert to win and claim the crown, the unexpected happened yet again and Kris Allen won.

This caused a worldwide (no I'm not exaggerating) rage with many people demanding to know how in the world Kris Allen could have beat Adam Lambert to the winner's title. Poor Kris, getting criticized at, getting booed at, yet if we were to analyse the situation closely, he won the competition fair and square!

Personally I felt both of them were good. I would have been happy if either of them had won, cause both of them have proved themselves to be deserving of that place on stage. One's a rock star who dishes out really high note effectively and melodiously whilst the other has got the clean cut good looks together with a superstar charm and a wonderful voice.

Who cares if Kris won and Lambert didnt? This is only a platform for them to shine, and both of them did. Now all we have to do is wait and see who will be the more successful of the two. Winning the competition does not determine much at all, for the true winner would be revealed the moment their albums come out. The statistics will paint the picture, the statistics will tell the story.

Let's all face it, American Idol is a talent show, yet the winners are determined by more than just mere talent alone. In order to go far and win this, they have got to have luck, skill, and most importantly public value. To be loved by the public is by far the most crucial factor of all, cause the hard truth is the success of a superstar depends alot on how the public perceives them to be and how much the public supports them. You can be a really talented person with the voice of an angel, but what's the use if the public just plain hates you?

Speaking of which, just for random's sake, I heard both renditions of No Boundaries and I very much prefer Lambert's version of the song as it was really heartfelt and just pleasing to the ears. Kris brought a rendition that was not that bad too actually...

So guys, let's give it to Kris for winning the competition fair and squre. He did sing really well and he's got the entire package to represent America as a role model.

Just for the record, this is coming from someone who was hoping for Lambert to win the competition :)

HELLO PRIVATE!

2009-05-22T11:15:00.002+08:00

Recruit Zulhafiz is no more. He's now Private Zul :)

Updates on my 11 weeks in camp soon!

Time Flies

2009-05-17T15:08:00.003+08:00

10 weeks down...

And I'm down to my final five days as a recruit ..

Time flies.. The next time I post an entry here, I'll be a recruit no more ...

GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED

2009-05-16T10:30:00.004+08:00

I just found the most hilarious thing on the net today! :)

Whoever who created this must be a freakin genious!

21st CENTURY BREAKDOWN

2009-05-16T07:47:00.004+08:00

Just listened to Greenday's comeback album and I found it really AWESOME! There was a whole range of different styles of songs they experimented with and they all sounded really great in my opinion.

I don't understand why critics are being so judgemental about the lyrics and the tune, cause its perfectly fine and cool.

What's with dissing their latest album just cause some lyrics are about greed and America and hedonism ? They're all an issue of perspective, and I feel the lyrics correctly point out the state our beloved world is in now. I guess they're guilty cause they could be indulging in it themselves.. hehe!

And so my verdict, for those of you who have not listened to the album, go for it! :)

AWESOME SATURDAY

2009-05-09T23:42:00.003+08:00

Meet up with old pals are always the best. The familiar laughter, the familiar company topped up with fun activities can make even the most boring weekends fun!

Whilst with them I actually chanced upon 2 of my ex-students at Lot 1, both of which actually could NOT recognize me due to my botak head. One totally missed me and the other one took almost 10 seconds to stare at me before he finally registered me as Mr Zul... hahaha! My friends laughed at me when he called me that, but hey I seriously miss my students. Do I really look THAT different botak up to the point of no recognition? Tsk tsk.. LOL!

And for those of you who has not seen me totally botak, here's your chance :)

Reply to tags

[Cassandra]

GREENDAY! A few more days to the release of their album, and I seriously cant wait for them cause I missed them too! haha!

[Amalina]

Hello back at ya! :) Hope you're doing fine!

[Vivian]

I know you'll always do your best soo yup, I'm glad for you Vivian!

[Ayeen]

Hehe remind me to watch it during my free time okay. Usually yup its the sound effect that makes the scene scary and all, not the actual ghost itself.. hahah...

[Hidayah]

Yupp my sentiments exactly! If it weren't for him, I don't think Wolverine would actually be so highly focused upon as a character. Its the actor that makes the character, not the other way round... Haha.. He's seriously awesome!

And the paper says

2009-05-03T17:45:00.003+08:00

After what seemed like eons of not catching up on the news due to my NS life, it definitely was a whole chunk of latest happenings I had to absorb when I finally read the papers for the first time in a few weeks.

For a start, the entire non profit organization saga involving AWARE and a whole lot of others. I never imagined something as trivial as this to spark fury in people, but in the age of the economic recession, well anything can happen afterall. To be focusing on trivial issues I shall not mention here when what others are really keen about is wanting to be secured and trying to keep up with the economy, now that's a grave mistake none of us should ever commit, ever.

Murders, killings, natural disasters, riots and cries of help from the third world countries, all these happenings seem to be getting more widespread and out of hand nowadays. We should start realizing the seriousness of this problem and do all we can to ensure that these happenings can be reduced hopefully ...

And finally with SARS finally out of our sight, now we say hello to swine flu. It seems 2009 is a year of gloomy outcomes with everything unpleasant encompassed into this year. Starting from the economic downturn, to social and political unrest in countries, and now this ...

Take care of yourselves guys, and lets all pray for this year to be a better one starting NOW! Afterall, we only see the rainbow after dark clouds fade away am I not right? :)

Replies to tags

[Cassandra]
HAHA I know la! I miss you guys too, and of course I have not forgotten you guys! Abit hard to right, since we've been through so much together in two years. HAHA! Lets go out soon, when NS starts giving me more freedom!

[Amalina]
Well hello there! :) Good luck for your exams ya!

2009-05-02T23:23:00.003+08:00

If Vesak Day was on a Friday, I would get the day off. If Vesak Day was on Sunday, then I would have gotten Monday off..

So why why why must Vesak Day fall on a Saturday then? Totally no incentive for that day. Hmph!

Tag Replies

[Ayeen]
I heard wolverine wasnt as nice as what others expected it to be. Haha! And seriously? I heard jangan tegur is scary! I should go give it a watch myself soon :) Thanks for the recommendation ya! All the best with your exams!

[Haz]
HAHA I was singing that song to myself when I saw your tag and LAUGHED! Its addictive aint it?

The problem with Wolverine

2009-05-02T00:11:00.005+08:00

Something random, I still cannot get over the fact that Wolverine is so highly appreciated and emphasized in the X Men series. Seriously, what's so good about him that's worth so much focus on his past and future? I'd rather they created a spin off on Storm or Jean or Cyclops... Now that would be more exciting to witness ...

Heh, I'm a fan of X-Men since young alright, just that I'm rather biased against Wolverine cause I remember as a small boy thinking Wolverine was really cocky and annoying with the way he was portrayed in the series...

Then again, I don't really mind the movie cause Hugh Jackman's playing the annoying character and we all know what an awesome actor he is :)

Tag replies

[Tyqa]
Yes you can still try to mat-tify me after your exams. It'll be a hard task man! HAHA! Thanks and yes I am having fun in camp now :)

[Vivian]
Hey there! Yes time passes really fast, and it really feels so fast I amazed at how much I have completed thus far. I'm fine, and you? Study hard for exams ya! All the best!

[Zhen Qin]
Exactly my point! Weekends should be used for activities, not to rest the eyes. That can be done in camp. LOL!

[Kenji]
Yeap I was referring to Mad World. Adam's version is on repeat for my Mp3, and its been a week now and I never get sick of that song. Its really beautifully sung! :) Gary Jules' version was really good too actually! hahah...

[Beverly]
HEY! Haha yes NS is getting better, thanks! Keep the tags coming!

[Cassandra]
LOL so I'm missed cause you need somebody to bully? >.<>

[Ness]
HEY! Yess its three more weeks to partial freedom. That way we dont have to end our convos abruptly anymore. It has happened alot these past few weeks eh? HAHA! I cant wait for it to end! And yeapp I think I remember telling you about that. Never mind we shall continue the next time we see each other online, and I am looking forward to that man! Chatting with Inessa is always a fun activity aint it? LOL!

[Judamouse]
No problem :) Thanks for tagging and dropping by! All the best for your exams ya?

[Fizul]
Archuleta is an awesome singer man! You should listen to the lyrics and the way he sings them. Its really soothing to the ears. Haha.. and eh Aliff is no where close to Archuleta in my opinion so they should not be compared together la! LOL!

[Ain]
Alamak, haruskah saya anggapkan kata-kata anda itu sebagai pujian atau sebaliknya? LOL! >.<>

[Nawa]
HEY! Alright I'll relink. And YES he should not be in the bottom two. No no no! He must win, heh!

[Dina]
Agreed! Yeapp I do miss my students calling me that, although now I have a totally different group of people calling me that. Hehh.. And yeap, MAY IS HERE! And that means two things. One, I'm 20 days away from ending my life as a recruit. Two, our meet up should happen sooon! hehe.. Two great events to look forward to :)

WELCOME BACK GREENDAY

2009-05-01T21:37:00.002+08:00

After a very very very long break of about 4 years I guess, they are finally alive and kicking with their brand new album! Greenday has been one band I have envied since young apart from simple plan. Even till today I STILL love some of their songs, so I am really excited to see how this new album turns out!

I heard this new album has a very different concept, away from the pop punk roots they once had to the genre of classical rock. Sounds rather interesting, so I'm hoping some of their songs will be as good and impactful as Holiday and Boulevard of Broken Dreams, two of my favourite songs by Greenday.

15 May, we will all find out

Greenday fans, rejoice!

The Backdated Teaching Entry

2009-04-30T21:33:00.008+08:00

Alright this post has been backdated for a VERY long time now, and now that the emotions come running back to me, its about time I finish up this post and post it for everybody to read, finally...

Its been close to two months now, two months since I left Teck Whye Secondary school. Two months might seem a long time, but trust me, when you leave something you love doing alot, it really seems only like yesterday that you stopped.

Every time I feel overwhelming emotions overcoming me in camp, be it sad, annoying or any other feeling, I can't help but view photos of my acquaintances and teaching days so as to keep me calm and settled..

It might seem funny, but the image and personality of the teacher in me has never really left me since I stopped. In school, I used to have this professional teacher image whose students addressed him as Mr Zul or Sir. I thought all these qualities of a teacher in me would leave the moment I stopped teaching but well my friends, I actually brought them into camp.

Just for your information, in camp I am quite a well known guy. LOL! Seriously, not notoriously thank god. I never actually did anything to make myself stand out, but somehow my platoon mates and instructors found out about my background as a teacher and they never fail to be interested in my teaching adventures and they'll always make me tell them about my job as a teacher. Hence this story spread round and the ENTIRE company of 160 people or so now knows, even the people I don't know. Having people you don't know approaching you for your experiences is quite an honour, and I found this a really good opportunity to open up and start making new friends.

Its really weird, yet after almost five weeks I have finally come to accept the fact that the guy in camp goes by the persona of the Cikgu and not this boy called Zulhafiz. Trust me, there are some who don't even know my name thanks to this prevailing nickname... haha!

Well I'll elaborate this more in my future posts... Okay back to my teaching experiences, I must say that I really am beginning to miss my teaching days.

Dina's entry on her last day made me reflect and reminisce upon the good old days I had with my students.

I remember the very last day I had with my students was a really bitter sweet experience. On one hand I really felt so very satisfied and proud of my students cause my very last day was what made me realize the impact I had on them. Eight weeks worth of teaching, I saw all the reaps of success on that very day, and seeing how much my students have grown since the very first day I took them for lessons, it just made me all the more happier for these students who have pride and passion for all that they do.

I remember my very last lesson with Class 3J, the video I showed the class and the cards I gave them which made them tear. I admit, seeing the tears come out from the girls and even the guys touched me up to the point I could not talk, cause I swear, if I were to say something, I would end up with tears welling up in my very own eyes. It was that emotional.

I also remember the many pictures I took with my students to prepare me for my last day as well as for my NS days.. Yes, those were the days.

Words cannot express how much I miss these little students of mine, those who made me mad yet apologetic with their innocent "I wont do it again" faces, those who made me smile, those who teased me with my height and age, those who were really close to me, I really want to relive those days.

I guess I'll let the pictures do the talking! :)

All these were taken on my last day, with many many more in facebook so you can go see if you want to. And this sums up my last day of teaching entry, the entry I never got to complete due to NS nervousness issues at one point in time...

The memories may have been long present
But not even time can take them away from me

2009-04-26T16:12:00.001+08:00

It's four more weeks to the end of my recruit life!

Freedom is in the air. Can you smell it? Okay fine, not total freedom, but well at least it is partial freedom to be able to go home everyday after these four weeks end. Nobody to confine us, threaten us, order us around all the way.

Yes, I'm looking forward to that..

2009-04-19T00:53:00.002+08:00

Its 12.53 am. I should be sleeping now but I'm not. Well, not cause I want to stay up late. Its more of because I can stay up late.

Makes sense?

IT'S A MAD MAD WORLD

2009-04-17T21:12:00.008+08:00

Let's face it, Adam Lambert is an awesome person. If you haven't already known who this guy is, you have obviously been away from the face of this Earth and you should definitely check him out. For someone who has not been watching American Idol at all to like this guy, it certainly speaks volumes about how good he really is.

I love songs, yet I never really get blown away that easily unless a singer sings really well and manages to infuse his own emotions into a song. He doesn't need to try to do so, cause if it's there, then it's there. Somehow though, this one song sang by Adam Lambert during one of the performance absolutely blew me away beyond words. I heard this song on radio whilst in camp and I was immediately captivated by it, immediately wondering what the title of the song was and who the singer was. A stunning take on a song so beautifully written, and personally if I were Simon I too would have given him a standing ovation. Take a listen and soothe your souls my friends!

Mad World (Cover By Tears For Fears)

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had

I find it hard to tell you
'Cos I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me

Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had

I find it hard to tell you
'Cos I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World

This may be based upon feelings of children but if you were to analyse it closely, this really is not too far from the harsh reality we all feel from time to time. As humans it is only normal for us to desire attention and love, yet sometimes we just do not get what we want. We feel left out, we feel alone when we try to fit in. We try to seek someone to speak to and hear us out but there's nobody, nobody, that would fulfill our need.

The human species can indeed be an irony come to think of it. We know what we want and yearn for, basic human rights and emotions, yet we are ignorant enough to understand the basic human rights and emotions of others.

Are we all not humans?

2009-04-12T18:45:00.002+08:00

Since when has life been a bed of roses? It has never ceased to be thorny to me at least and sometimes I feel life can be rather unfair on us.

Just a month ago, I had to deal with separation, which to most of us is never an easy thing. NS was calling me, and I had no choice but to leave my students and teaching colleagues to settle for life in Civil Defence for 2 years. 2 solid months teaching these young individuals waiting to blossom into useful people of society, and I already developed a strong relationship with these bright kids. What not, I was known as a teacher by name, but here the fact was that I was just a mere few years older than them. I was more of an older brother to them all, and I could relate to them, their needs and their wants as I was of a similar age group. Just as this relationship started to strengthen, it had to be taken away from me due to my NS commitments. It was really hard on me, but finally I learnt to let go.

NS was tough as well, not so much physically, but more of the mental aspect. Everything I once had was taken away from me, and every single book in was dreadful for me. I thought I never would make friends and I'd be alone, but these five weeks proved me wrong as I made some really awesome friends who stuck by me through thick and thin. They took care of me when I was sick, made sure I was able to sleep through the night soundly, stood up for me when others tried to tease or take advantage of my weaknesses and many others. They made me feel like life in NS was worth it.

Now comes the hard part, as these people were selected for the firefighter course. I had the opportunity, but due to personal reasons I had to reject this offer. Now, as I book in, I'm all alone without these familiar faces I once knew. All I'm left with are the rest of the platoon with characters that can be rather undesirable and not really that I am comfortable with.

Just as I was about to love my NS life, this has to happen. I can jolly well break down and sulk, but I firmly believe there has to be an explanation for everything that happens in life. I am going to stay strong, and I hope to be able to adapt to this new life I'm going to experience starting tonight. Wish me luck.

Whatever that doesn't kill you makes you stronger

I MISS MY PINK IC

2009-04-12T15:39:00.006+08:00

.
I do miss my pink IC at times. This is to remind me that I'm no longer the civilian I once was ...
.
To my readers who have not much idea about NS, this is called the 11B and it's used to replace the pink IC for 2 years. 11B, awkward name for a card ain't it?

I MET DAVID ARCHULETA

2009-04-10T00:48:00.004+08:00

Another wish fulfilled, which was to meet and greet David Archuleta personally someday.

I know I'm a guy, and I'm not into him cause he's cute or so as girls call him, rather I am really envious of this boy whose so talented at 18. His voice is just breathtaking and one can never get sick of his songs as they are simply melodious and soothing on the ears.

Right after bookout, I rushed to the new Iluma Shopping centre to catch him perform. I was contemplating on whether to go and after much thinking through, I finally decided to go for the showcase as its not everyday we get to see David Archuleta perform live in Singapore.

His showcase consisted of four songs and personally it was really well worth the effort and time spent. Professionalism at its peak, and one more thing that caught me about this boy is how humble he is despite his glorious achievement. Admit it, none of us have ever been this successful at 19.

After the showcase, I got a chance to get my CD autograpghed by the man himself. Looking at him, I smiled and led out my hand in an attempt to shake his hands. He eventually returned the handshake, and when I told him how honoured I was to be able to meet someone as talented as him, he smiled back and replied that he was just as honoured to be able to meet someone like me.

One might take it to be a casual cliched remark every celebrity uses to catch the attention of his fans but somehow, I felt the sincerity in his words. Here is a performer, a future successful one and I really hope that he makes it back here to Singapore for another showcase. I'll definitely go should I be free on that day.

So whilst I was lucky enough to be able to meet and greet the man himself, Sahira on the other hand managed to get a photo with him, something I was unable to do as security was guarding him as if President Obama were the one visiting Singapore.

She's got another one of her wishes fulfilled as well! I would love to have a photo with him as well, but never mind maybe next time. At least I got a chance to talk to him and meet him in person right Sahira? Haha! You deserved it, you really worked hard for it and I'm proud of you! :D

David Archuleta, check. Whose next? :)

2009-04-05T19:09:00.002+08:00

Just a little thought before I leave for camp,

Is this world really a world ruled by perceptions? Would something we detest and do not like doing turn into something we would enjoy doing if we tell ourselves to enjoy doing it?

REPLIES

2009-04-05T16:36:00.002+08:00

And time for replies:

Joyce
Hey there! I could not tag your board! It said I was banned! How come arh? You ban teachers from tagging ah? HAHA! =P Hope you're doing fine!

Joey
Hey! It was harsh, and its now getting better, so I hope i'll cope well with it. Hope it doesnt get brutal next week. LOL! Thanks for always cheering me on Joey! You take care, and you press on too. I'll be here for you guys when you need me! :)

Vivian
I enjoyed my newspaper collections as a student too! Its like the time when you get to interact with your friends and teachers in the midst of helping community. How cool's that? HAHA! You guys press on for your exams okay?

Syazwani
HEY SYAZWANI! haha serious? Awww thats great to know! I love writing, but I'm really bad with tunes and rhythms, hence I don't think I'll ever be a lyricist! HAHA! I do hope that its possible someday in the future.. Thanks for the comments, appreciated it! I wonder if you know about tunes, maybe you could help me tun-ify my poems. LOL! =)

Shasha
LOL yea la, im pretty sure you were testing the waters to see if I was manlier after 2 weeks in NS back then. Im stronger now you know? LOLL! yes of course you're nice la, my friends are all nice people, especially youuu! =P And seriously? The cat one was ingenious! To think all of us believed.. Now I feel so silly, LOL! You're great at coming up with such stuff ehh? =P

Dina
YES I FELL FOR THE CAT THING! And I was like, Dina wants to leave us for her CAT? HAHA! Goshhh you guys ah! Now when I think back, I laugh at my myself wondering how I fell for it! =P Thanks for the compliments, and YES GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE! I think Ain fell for it too, soo that just shows how clever we all are! HAHA!

Cass
8 weeks? Fast? It passes by so slow please! I'd think working is better, at least I enjoy what I'm doing and the pay is so much better. The pay I'm getting is meagre, and although it can be considered as me working, I don't like the work I'm currently doing lor! lol! Hope you're doing fine!

Lyana
HELLO THERE! :) Thanks for dropping by! I left you a lovely tag too! Go read. LOL!

Syafiqah
Hello there syafiqah! Thank you very much for the compliments. Im glad you enjoyed the read. It really depicted how I felt the first few weeks. How are you?

Tyqa
Yes the weather is my dear student! Great for sleeping eh? Grrrr... hahaha... Yes i'm booking in tonight! dang!

Yee Xin
53 days! I started work on 12 january and its now april, time passes so fast! haha..

CRAVINGS

2009-04-05T13:31:00.004+08:00

When you get back from camp, the only thing you wanna do is to satisfy all the cravings you've been having all week long after an entire week of exhaustion, average food, average drinks, some nice friends, a couple of stuck up people, and many others, not to mention the more than frequent punishments :)

Hence during my weekends, I settled my craving by:

1) Eating out at Earls Swensons with Syakirah, Iliyas and Haziq. This was MY TREAT! :) Outing with them was great and I really enjoyed the meet up with them at Vivocity. Just talked about life and I guess we must have bored Syakirah out with our NS talks! HAHA! I'm sure she learnt a thing or two about NS life after that. I had a salad bar buffet there as well as a hickory smoked chicken which was awesome by the way. Iliyas was hilarious, he told the waitress I wanted HORNY smoked chicken out of accident. The entire table laughed! =) Tsk tsk iliyasss...

2) Watching "Coming Soon" after eating. This was ILIYAS' TREAT! :) The movie plot was awkwardly lame, but I think that its quite a scary movie. The built up to the scary scenes were awesome and they mess around with your mind. At times you expect things to happen but it doesnt. At times when you dont expect them to happen, the ghost comes out of nowhere to scare you. Its quite a good movie in terms of scare value =)

3) Devouring down cake at Secret Recipe after the movie. I really wanted to eat cake soo badly I asked them to Secret Recipe so I could fulfill my wish to eat cake. HAHA! All four of us had different types of cakes and we tasted each other's cakes. I took the White Chocolate Macadamia Cake. Awesome stuff! I'd want to go back and taste the other cakes there some day! Anyone?

4) And finally, topping the day off with ICE CREAM at Earl's Swensons! This was HAZIQ'S TREAT! hahaha... So I guess all the guys treated the gang to something at the end of the day. Ahh its been ages since I had ice cream, and enjoying 8 flavours in the company of 3 other lovely people was just awesome. We were discussing about Haziq's erratic behaviour and we were imagining how it would be like if Haziq were to go on a date. Go figure and imagine, it would be rather funny! =P

Ahh I guess I satisfied my cravings finally, all except one, which is to have ice blended caramel coffee with java chips from Starbucks! HAHAHA! Gosh, NS really makes you crave for good food once you're out :) Remind me to get this on my next bookout!

Before I go, I'm suddenly addicted to Jai Ho by the Pussycat Dolls. I didnt really like the song on first hearing, I found it quite a nonsensical song, but somehow now i LOOOOVE the song! Watched the music video, both the hollywood and bollywood one and I think this song is perfectly awesome. I wanna watch Slumdog Millionaire, I heard its one of the greatest movies so far which won many oscar awards...

JAI HO! :)

2009-03-29T17:26:00.002+08:00

Weekends now are like gold. I feel really lethargic during the weekends and if I were to follow what I just want to do most, it would be to rest till I feel satisfied without having anything to do. Then again, think about it, 48 hours of freedom a week. Is it worth it using the time to sleep when it should be used interacting with friends, using the internet and catching up on family members?

Speaking of which, I spent my time in camp reading and writing stuff during my free times so as to slow down the rate of decomposition of my brain. Trust me, in camp, you do stuff that require only physical strength and almost no mental strength unless you're talking about the stress felt by being away from your loved ones.

If this continues, my brain will soon malfunction and no way am I goinna let that happen. Thus I wrote poems with themes that inspire me at that certain point of time.

Enjoy!

2009-03-29T16:56:00.002+08:00

Closeted and lonely, I'm feeling it both
My mouth's sewn shut, held by an oath
My soul's trapped in, cuffed by a pact
Yes I hate this life, it's a well known fact

I live in a room, but it feels like a cell
My life here reciprocates that of hell
24 months of a routined life, its simply abhorring
Compared to this, trust me, school's really not that boring

A life of regimentation, with screams here and there
Punishments aloof, with no one to spare
There's no room for mistakes, try if you dare
You can wail, you can cry, but they just won't care

The situation worsens being away from your loved ones
Just think of them, and you'll get homesick at once
You'll spend your time counting down to Friday
Yet time passes by so slow, it seems so far away

Well I could rant on and let my imagination loose
Yet I've got 2 choices, which should I choose?
Follow the heart, express emotions of disgust
Or follow the brain, take things easy and adapt fast

2009-03-29T16:41:00.004+08:00

I'm the wolf covered in the clothing of a sheep
I'm an alligator hiding underneath still waters
I'm your paradox and irony in Shakespearan lingo
Now don't you try messing around with me

I might seem weak but I'm not giving it my all
I might seem dumb but I'm a geek in disguise
Now don't you seemingly judge a book by its cover
Cause if you do, then you'll be surprised

I'll take the chance and pounce on you to gobble up your ego
I'll tiptoe quietly behind you and swallow up your pride
I'll creep mysteriously around you and I'll meddle with your mind
I am an illusion, I'm the shadow of the night

I've had enough of being labelled
I hate to be looked down upon
Now just you wait, I'm goinna show you what I've got
Sun down, I'll let you meet my alter ego

Cause I'll take the chance and pounce on you to gobble up your ego
I'll tiptoe quietly behind you and swallow up your pride
I'll creep mysteriously around you and I'll meddle with your mind
I am an illusion, I'm the shadow of the night

Darkness fall, you'll hear my call
I'm the shadow of the night

2009-03-29T16:23:00.004+08:00

I used to be an angel
Where purity surrounds me
My face so sweet, my life so pure
I never thought I would go wrong

Fate landed you upon my eyes
And I felt the need to make you mine
I wanted you, I needed you
That's when I tried to change my ways

So give me a way to turn back time
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Stringed and played, all my actions are controlled
Somebody help me please, before I fall deeper

Rings I used to have, but I now have horns
Wings I used to fly, its replaced by dragon scales
I changed for you, it's all your fault
My life took a downhill turn, then I got lost

So give me a way to turn back time
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Stringed and played, all my actions are controlled
Somebody help me please, before I fall deeper

Pull me out, free me please
Before I fall deeper

GPA 2009

2009-03-28T14:01:00.022+08:00

GPA last Saturday was indeed a blast, and I must say I was really impressed with the way with the way the MLCS members handled the entire event. I saw the tremendous effort and hard work put in by them as well as those who have graduated and I must say, all these efforts really paid off :)

A picture speaks a thousand words, and I'm too tired out to describe the entire process of it all, so let the pictures speak 100000000 words then =)

The make up artistes for the day getting all busy to make their dancers look lawa on stage :)

MLCS seniors catching up. Take a look at their hilarious faces =P

They're telling us their aim for their GP grades. Haha okay lame, they're proud of the GPA letters they made :)

The new J1s all energized to start their kompang session to welcome the VIP

Khairi.. This guy rocks at silat man! First time I saw him, I knew he seemed really familiar. He turned out to my one of my religious school classmates! HAHA!

Finally, the four of us have our very own picture together. YAY!

The batch of MLCS 07/08 , some of us at least!

Mardhiah Deena and I ... Lovely seniors of mine!

Shahidah! Wahh that day this girl was acting like a mak tiri to me you know. Tak habis habis marah marah budak NS ni.. HAHA! =P Kasi lah chance sikit, must be nice to NS boys you know! =) It was lovely seeing her after SO long!

Ain the MLCS president! First photo with her, first chat with her, first time discovering who this lady really is. No wonder her friends call her MAK! I totally can relate :)

Zulhafiz, his cousin's cousin, and the extra whose not part of the family tree! LOL! Alright I was kidding, I love these people ...

Me and my juniors, Farid and Azizan! Here's a coincidental fact, one was my brother's kindergarden friend and the other was his primary school friend =X And for the record, yes Deena, I think Azizan does look abit like Eddy! HAHA!

HUDAA!!! Gosh I missed this girl alot, reminds me of the times we spent together during the Indon trip days with nothing much to worry about.. We still need to catch up soon, you were sooo busy that day!

Lyana! The other one I missed. At least I did manage to disturb her on a few attempts. She's another one whom I spent alot of time with during the Indo trip. We sat next to each other, of course I'll miss this little girl. HAHA! =P

The gang eating at Swensons. This one's specially for Iliyas cause he doesnt appear below..

And this one's specially for DINA cause she doesnt appear above! HAHA! Her absence in the previous picture stirred up alot of humour and controversy amongst the people who went! Well maybe this is the camera's way of getting revenge on you for cheating on us, telling us you couldnt go cause you needed to go home to FEED YOUR CAT! HAHA!

And to top it all off, I went for COUNCIL CAMPFIRE! didnt get to take pictures cause I was already too sick and needed to go home, but it was an awesome campfire!

Indeed spending time with your loved ones is what makes you go on with life no matter how tough it may be. Its ironic that I love spending time with this group of people. I remembered back then during my very first few weeks of my JC days, the moment I found out I was an automatic member of MLCS, I was absolutely upset about it. I had this thing against it cause of a past which Dina knows since we chatted about this before, right Dina? :) Similar thoughts! heheh...

Now that I think about it, I realize this group of MLCS students are really very different and they have redefined the very definition of the word 'love' They make me happy, and I feel really honoured to be surrounded by such people. So far, I've known 4 batches of MLCS people, with the batch having Ain as the president as the first, and I must say all four batches have something in common, which is the value of love and bondedness.

Just one week ago I saw them, but I'm already beginning to miss these people!

Hope to see you guys really soon! :)

2009-03-22T19:05:00.002+08:00

I had fun during GPA, and I guess that update will come next week! Thank you friends, and I had fun during council campfire as well. Booking in now! See you guys!

When you feel that something you're going through is absolutely pointless, would you still give it your best shot?

TREASURING

2009-03-21T09:43:00.003+08:00

You'll only start treasuring something once you've lost it

Many at times in camp, during my free time, I'll ponder over this fact alot. There are many things all of us take for granted, for example friends, family and the luxury of items all of us hold. As wicked as this statement might seem, lets all face it. Its the truth for all, if not most of us here.

How many of us here actually acknowledge the fact that we have families to go back to once we return home from school or work? We take our homes for accommodation grounds and we just go home to sleep and do our own stuff. Our parents will always be there to welcome us with a warm smile, a cup of Milo or even some snacks for us to consume knowing we are exhausted after a day packed with activities yet do we thank them for their kind efforts?

How many of us here actually acknowledge the presence of our siblings at home? When we come home, we will most likely be so exhausted we will not even bother to interact with our own siblings although we live under the same roof. We see them as just another member of the family, yet we do not realize that perhaps they feel neglected as we make no attempt to show our love and concern for them.

How many of us here treasure this thing called freedom? We often take it for granted that we can do anything we like at our own risk without consequences. Freedom is too easily granted to us nowadays that we see it as something common and if not given freedom, I'm pretty sure most of us here would voice out our unhappiness and resort to the idea of expressing the issue of "human rights" as we put it.

Well NS can be such a pest, irritant or sore but I'm trying to think positive of it. At least it makes us think and mature mentally in terms of the way we perceive things. Before entering NS, most guys will be rather narrow minded in terms of the way they think of the people and issues surrounding them but I'm sure with these 2 years, we all all mature and progress.

Well isnt that the case?

2009-03-15T19:02:00.003+08:00

I guess this means I'll be celebrating my 19th birthday in camp.. 5 more hours to my 19th birthday!

Blow the candles out
Looks like a solo tonight ...

See you guys next weekend!

2009-03-15T01:55:00.003+08:00

And while I'm on the topic of NS, I must say that I've been really really thankful to have such a nice and caring pool of friends who helped me through the entire of my first week.

Seriously there were times I felt like giving up and just telling the instructors that I'm not suited to do this, but the more I think about my acquaintances, I felt determined to do them proud and just give it my all.

Thank you my students, friends and family who spurred me on with your constant SMSes to me whilst I was in camp to check in on me to see if I was doing okay. That really helped me survive through the week more than anything else :) Continue doing so, cause I really need all of your help in this! hahaha...

Thank you too to my acquaintances for all your lovely words of encouragement the day before I enlisted. To people like Dina, Syakirah, Shahidah, its the simple gesture of an SMS that kept me realizing that I have gotta get through this for all of you since you have put the faith and hope in me :)

Don't worry, I'll persevere through. When the going gets tough, its the tough that gets going. I know the next week is going to be hard, but you have my word, I'm not going to give up..

As the saying goes, just take it like a man! HAHAHA! No wonder they say NS trains you to be a man... =P

FIRST WEEK OF CD

2009-03-15T00:01:00.005+08:00

Finally, the day I have been anticipating arrived. Time really has a way of taking away everything from you. It passes by really quick when you're anticipating something you absolutely dread. NS. That two lettered word every guy just hates to hear. I know it is a process in which many have gone through and survived, yet for some reason I guess it all had to do with the negative perception I already had about NS which I simply refused to change. Too many horror stories I heard, well not literally, but in the sense of unmerciful instructors and uncooperative bunkmates. In fact that was my number one fear, unmerciful instructors who would not hesitate to push us all beyond our limit and punish us for every single thing possible.

I still remember trying to psycho my thinking at the final few moments before my enlistment. I tried telling myself life would not be as bad as I predicted it to be. Things would go fine if I just minded my own business and not get into the bad books of others. As my parents accompanied me to camp for the very first day, my mind was filled with emotions ranging from the mounting anxiety of what to expect there as well as sadness from having to leave my friends and family and not see them for over a week. The walked me all the way to the enlistment area, and there we separated. That was the last time I saw them.

I was alone in the enlistment room. I scanned my surroundings to observe the other recruits enlisting together with me. Some of them were exactly like me, alone with emotions of fear written all over their faces. Others just could not care less that they would be enlisting, They had friends and were busy chatting and anticipating what was next for them.

After enlistment we were brought into a multi purpose hall for our oath taking. The usuals for a uniformed organization, taking an oath makes it an obligation for those enlisting to abide by the rules and promise to protect their country. I got a first look at my instructors then. All so young, buffed and looking ready to whip us all into shape. I swear, one look at these instructors and I had this very uneasy feeling that I would actually manage to pass my IPPT under them.

Well, good or bad, I'll leave that for you to decide.

As for the details of what goes on in camp, I don't think I'm actually allowed to elaborate so I'll just summarize and say that its a very regimental life I am living. A life which requires lots of patience, discipline and tolerance for without them, emotions could run really high.

I must say though, that I actually like the instructors allocated to our company, well most of them at least. They do scold and punish us for our mistakes. They possess authority, yet they know how to use it well and not flaunt it just cause they know that can do so. Indeed, professional Grade A instructors.

Personally for me, I am coping fine although it is inevitable that the feeling of homesickness still lingers within me at times. I'm a rather reserved person, and I have made it a point to keep a low profile, so I hope that I'll be able to interact with my bunkmates better these coming few weeks.

The first week was a roller coaster ride for me. Coming from someone with absolutely no military background, everything that could possibly go wrong, went wrong and I found myself getting scolded quite alot.. There are times I feel its not my fault, but fine we all have to learn to to take criticism with a pinch of salt.

Its alright, I'll bounce back and hopefully perform better for my next week in camp. Wish me luck guys :)

ENLISTED

2009-03-10T08:07:00.005+08:00

For all of you who have been pestering me to upload a picture of my botak self, consider it done.. :)

I actually had doubts about how I would look, but hey, I don't think I look half as bad la ... haha!

Dearest friends, seniors, students,

The time to enlist is already here. Thanks all of you for your kind words, SMSes, everything! You guys have been really encouraging and I'm very sure I will be able to spur myself on with all your help ... Don't worry, although I'll already be in NS, I will never forget any of you in the civilian world and don't worry, I will still find time to blog during the weekends. Do remain a loyal reader ya! LOL!

I'll see you guys soon, and I hope I'll manage to adapt fast and fit in well!

You guys take caree!

P.s: Students, you'll have to wait a little longer before I upload my final teaching post! Enjoy schooling!

FATE

2009-03-09T18:04:00.005+08:00

There are times where we feel things do not go our way, and we question why this has to happen to us. Its a harsh reality that life itself is not a bed of roses. True, there are times where we want things to happen and they do, but not all times they do for sometimes, things just take a turn in the completely opposite direction.

I've always asked myself this, if things do not go our way, who would be blamed for it?

Of course the most obvious thing to do would be to firstly to blame ourselves. Blame ourselves for not having enough passion, for not having enough commitment, for not being dedicated enough to actually go all out to achieve what we set out for. There are times this does apply to us, and we realize that we fail due to our own shortcomings.

However, if we are certain we have given in our best 101% in a certain something and things still do not go our way, what's next?

I just experienced my fair share of this a while back last week. I know I have tried my upmost best in my A Levels, and I know that all that hard work I have put in was indeed tremendous, yet when I think of it, it really does not reflect upon my grades at all. I got really average grades of a CDD, C for Maths, D for Physics and D for Chemistry. I know I passed it all, but I definitely did not want to settle for such grades especially after seeing how well some of my friends performed during this exams.

Perhaps I should just start accepting that result and move on. I used to fail my Maths and Sciences with U's all the way for my JC life, so if we were to take a look at the bright side, it definitely is a huge improvement aye? :)

You see the difference between optimism and pessimism? There are many different ways of looking at things, it's all in the way we choose to view things. Many at times, things can be viewed from a different perspective, so whether the glass if half full or half empty depends on us most of the time..

I guess for those of us who already tried yet got such results, we could think that perhaps this is our fate. Often at times, there are reasons why things happen. They don't happen just to hinder us, rather they happen to ensure we become stronger individuals who will be able to cope with obstacles better. Perhaps it is fate that led to such results as by achieving such results, it could lay the path for us unknowingly for future success.

You get my point? If you were to take a look at the world's most successful people, all of them have actually experienced failure at one point in their lives, and it is this failure that actually helped them achieve their current status, believe it or not.

Albert Einstein, Martha Steward, these are household names linked to success who have failed at least once during their younger days. Albert Einstein was a school dropout and Martha Steward has been sentenced to a jail term before, so if these people can do it, we can too. We should stop looking at failure so negatively for it could possibly lead to a future success!

On the brighter side for me, at least I managed to score a B for my GP =) Seriously, getting a B for english is not easy at all and I'm really glad that I have managed to achieve this grade. At least I will be able to live up to my name as an English teacher of Teck Whye Secondary school...

=)

RANDOM RAMBLINGS

2009-03-08T10:49:00.005+08:00

The teaching blog entry will come soon, the moment my brother uploads the pictures onto the computer, so hang in there guys! :)

Today is Sunday, and usually on Sunday I look forward to it the most, cause its the day I get to relax, and following that its HEY MONDAY and I get to meet up with my students and teach them..

This time round, however, things are different...

The good times ended, and darkness starts to fall ...

Tomorrow seems dull and frightening, and I don't ever want tomorrow to come...

NS in 2 days...

Can you sense the excitement in my words? No?

LET GO

2009-03-04T23:44:00.002+08:00

2 more days before I bid farewell to Teck Whye.
I'm not willing to, I'm not ready to do so
I still care so much about these students I now take under my wings

Thank you very much NS, 6 days...

I'm not ready to let go...

WHEN ANXIETY KICKS IN

2009-03-01T11:59:00.003+08:00

It all seemed so real..

The day came, and he met all his friends. Bonding aside, everybody looked so suppressed with a thousand anxieties, waiting for the exact time for the designated letter to appear before them.

This time, it was no longer about trying to outwit each other. It was all about exceeding their expectations and doing well to get into the course of their choice. Everybody wanted everybody to do well of course, for the feeling of seeing someone left behind dwelling and crying non-stop was simply an unbearable one.

The principal came and gave his address. He was pretty sure not one of them was actually listening attentively to whatever the principal was saying. Everyone was just too scared.

His speech ended and the awaited time finally arrived. He walked towards his teacher and took his result slip in hand. He looked at it, took in a deep breath and finally started tearing slowly the edges to reveal whatever was inside.

He told himself, accept reality. As long as he passed all his subjects, he would be happy enough to just get an A Level Cert. The A's didnt matter anymore, for he had completely lost hope in actually doing well. What he wanted was just to pass well enough to enter the course of his choice, which was to become a teacher.

He took a look at his Maths grade, he got a B.
He took a look at his Chemistry grade, he got a C.
He took a look at his Physics grade, he got an E.

Any scholar would have probably burst in tears at seeing such results, but not him. He was actually calm, as if he expected that his results would turn out that way. Quietly, he heaved a sigh of relief, thanked god for helping him through and allowing him to pass all 3 of his H2s when he had no confidence in actually passing all three.

Then he looked further, and to his dismay he saw a C. The subject he was best at, General Paper, he got a C. He blinked, he winced, he rubbed his eyes, but it still remained as it was. This was when disappointment finally set into him, as he began to feel like a useless being. He was truly expecting an A or at least a B, not once was he expecting to do so badly at this subject. He was sad, but he just kept quiet. The tears just could not come out as he started thinking through his future plans.

This wasnt as bad as he expected. He passed it all, at least. He got a full cert. The anxiety was finally over he could finally move on with his life. NS is in four days, so that's what he should be looking forward to. Closing this chapter of his life as he opens another chapter and begin filling in the blank pages.

All of a sudden, the scene went blurry and he felt as if he was shrouded in a mist of foggy air.

He woke up, cold, drenched. The pages of the book he thought he closed just sprang open once more. No, the nightmare was not over just yet. In fact, it was just beginning...

MEMORIES FROM WEEK 8

2009-02-27T23:03:00.011+08:00

The students from 1F were really awesome! They were all excited when I wanted to take a photo with them.. HAHA!

Josephine and Samson, my dearest RTs that I spend most of my time with! I'll miss you guys...

Mdm Lim! She was one of those guiding me on how to teach English as a subject :)

Ari and Hidayat.. Part of the gang which I hang out with after school usually.. These boys rock, seriously...

BEVERLY! She insisted on this pose when I wanted a nice formal shot.. Don't ask me why! =p

This picture doesnt do me justice.. Sobs, would you be able to tell who the teacher is if I weren't wearing a different outfit? LOL!

Malay Sec 1 boys! They're really nice boys whom I love chatting with!

Anthony from 3C! He shares music with me...

Vivian! She is such a chirpy girl who greets me with a smile every single morning..

The 2E students.. The funny, hilarious, cheeky ones =P

One week left, and this week is goinna pass by really fast

The countdown just got to a smaller number...

11 days to NS, and I'm down to my final 5 days of teaching next week...

THE VIRTUAL CONNECTION

2009-02-22T16:15:00.003+08:00

Ahaha well to my dear friends and students out there who are wondering about my life as a teacher, yes I do chat with my students and the above is a concrete proof of me doing so =) One more thing, I do play games with my students too, especially English related games like Anagrammatic right Joey? =P

This entire weekend, I've been busy coaching students. First and foremost, my secondary two students asked me out to teach them summary writing skills and newspaper article reviews. Spent a total of 2 hours with them, plus nice me decided to treat them to drinks and we spent quite some time talking about life and studies in general, though we did deviate sometimes to topics like Disney and music.. =P

Next up was an online coaching project with a few of my 3B students, and so far I have been enjoying coaching them cause they are so determined to learn! Take one of my students Joey for example, this weekend he spent both Saturday and Sunday online with me as I coached him for English and Social Studies. He's a great boy to coach, he has got a matured mindset, he's fun loving and most importantly, he knows what he wants out of life and I am sure he's goinna succeed in life eventually.. He also has this passion for english writing and that's something we both share in common!

No no, I don't encourage my students to stay too much online and waste their time by doing this. In fact, believe it or not, I do teach my students online via MSN. HAHA!

So far, I've taught my students English, Social Studies and Maths via MSN and all have turned out fine! Now all that remains to be seen is whether they have actually benefitted from all these teachings I've conducted over the course of 7 weeks.

I just realized something... Look at Joey's nickname..

Who says teachers cannot be fun and educating at the same time?

I agree with that! Teachers CAN be fun and educative at the same time.. Mr Goh, my secondary 2 literature teacher would be a really good example. It was he who reenforced my love towards English and Literature and up till today, I remember him as a passionate teacher who really made me love these 2 subjects. I remember the day he told us that he was going to leave teaching for another career, which resulted in me really being unable to compose myself as tears began to well up in my eyes. Well, I'm a guy, but don't mistake me for a crybaby. It just goes to show how much he managed to impact my life...

The kind of teacher I'm aiming to become alright...

And before I leave, the common tests start tomorrow so dear students of mine, All the best and go all out alright? I know you guys can do it and i BELIEVE you guys will succeed given the hard work all of you have put in =D

FORT SILOSO TRIP WITH 2A/2D

2009-02-17T21:25:00.012+08:00

I swear I had fun with these 2 classes earlier this week as we went to fort Siloso. I was in charge of bringing peace and order to the 2 classes and ensure they behave but knowing these 2 classes, they wont wreck havoc or cause problems for us teachers. They're nice students alright :)

I ended up taking many photos with the students and I am pretty sure these photos will serve as wonderful memories for me in the times to come..
.

.
Hidayat and Ting Quan.. or was it Tian Qin? Hmm... 2 enthusiastic and cheerful boys who never fail to put a smile across my face whenever I see them.. =)

Fatin and Hazreena! These 2 girls never fail to surround me with countless belanja attempts as well as favours.. tsk tsk, students nowadays. LOL! okay kidding, they're a pleasure to have in class of course! :)

A random group I took a photo with from 2A! They were having their project work.. hahaha!
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Song Ning! I always chat with this girl online.. She's one lovely girl to talk to :)
.

Haikal! The small cute one of 2A! HAHA! I talk to this guy online too, and I always share with him nice shows to watch online. I know, distraction, but hey, kids too need time off from studies right? =)
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Ashraf! Listen to this boy speak and he'll leave you in awe. He speaks really fluently and his ideas are really well thought and matured. Really wonderful for a 14 year old boy.. A pleasure to speak to this boy, and we only started speaking to each other during the trip... LOL! He's from ELDDS and he promises me when I leave I won't see the last of him cause he'll be famous! HAHA! =)
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That's all for now... Lets hope I get to take pictures with more of these kids..
Afterall, last 12 working days with them...

Its 19 days and HELLO NS! =X

OVERRATED

2009-02-16T22:47:00.004+08:00

And Saturday was what people called Valentine's Day.

I just used it as a means of reenforcing the love I felt for my friends and family around me. No cheesy roses, dates or spending a bomb on presents and all.

Opinions may differ, but I seriously do not get why people are so hyped up about Valentine's Day. Why must you wait for Valentine's to show your love and care and concert to those around you? Why can't you do it throughout the rest of the 364 days?

This makes it very hypocritical. Love should be expressed all year round in every means possible, not on a seemingly special day like this.

Don't get me wrong, I aint saying all these cause I am jealous or so, but it is really cause I don't get the reason behind why people choose to make a big issue of this day.

Sorry but yea, I feel Valentine's Day is seriously overrated
Anyone with me?

FOLIE A DEUX

2009-02-14T10:18:00.019+08:00

At last, something else to update on apart from teaching.

Last tuesday, right after teaching my class, I went to meet Sahira cause that girl was so kind to bring me to the Fallout Boy concert! She was a lucky lucky girl this week, cause out of 7 contests she entered, she won a few of em resulting in her having lots of free tickets! =) Now that's my friend alright! HAHA!

The very first time she won a pair of tickets, she immediately SMSed me to tell me the good news. I could still remember myself when I received that message. I was teaching one of my Sec 2 classes CME and although I was super excited and elated that she won and that I was going to follow her to the gig, I had to contain all my excitement and Hurrays till after the lesson which I immediately SMSed her and went crazy! Hah, had to be a professional teacher. Did you know how hard containing my excitement was? Imagine if I had screamed and jumped out during class lessons. What would the kids think man? =)

Right after lessons I rushed off without my bag and laptop cause I wanted to be free of them during the concert. Along the way I met some of my students at the interchange and they questioned me so as to why I was leaving so early. Once they knew I was going for the FOB concert, the kids immediately got excited and me, being lovely me, decided to rub it into them, telling them to happily do their homework whilst I enjoy the gig and tell them all about it the next day. Evil I know, but hey the kids still thought I was cool nonetheless... =) LOL! How many teachers do u know go for concerts? HAHA!

Before going to the concert, I have got to thank Hidayah for sharing with me all the concert goer tips for an ameteur like me. She told me many stuff I needed to know and informed me of what type of attire to wear, what to expect and all that so I won't get a shock

Met Sahira at Dhoby Ghaut and we bussed to the Indoor stadium together. I decided to give her a Mcdonalds Dinner treat with a bonus favourite drink of hers from Starbucks

Alright, on directly to the concert proper.. The concert was due to start at 8 and well, it did start at 8, except that the performance started off with a 30 minute opening act by... HEY MONDAY!

Hey Monday is a band just like fallout boy rising fast, and we were all so pleasantly surprised that they made a special appearance in Singapore!! For one, I am not a fan of bands with girls as the lead singers, which explains why I am not really a fan of bands like Paramore, but when I caught this band in action, GOSH I was blown away by the awesome stage antics of the band as well as the female lead. She's perhaps the first female lead that grew on me almost immediately as I watched them perform.

Isnt she great? hahah.. She's sweet, pretty, but mostly why I like her is cause of the fact that she's really a wonderful singer and stage performer!

This was when the band sang "Candles" It was really very well done and awesomely brought, up to the point even those who did not know the lyrics to the song swayed along to the rhythm of the song, which was pretty much touching...

This was when the band sang their other songs from the album. Weirdly enough, although I never heard of the band before, some of their songs such as "Homecoming" seemed awkwardly familiar and I was told that this song was their first single. Could it be that I actually have listened to this band before?

Hahah.. whatever it is, the opening act was surely a BLAST, and although it lasted for 30 minutes, we all didnt complain. We were having way too much fun with Hey Monday, and I think I found myself a new band to check out!

Alright, and as expected as what Hidayah forewarned me, Fallout Boy started their gig at 9 pm... HAHA! Hidayah you were right!

Sahira and I were trying to outwit each other into guessing what the starting song would be by fallout boy. Both of us predicted that it would be a song from their new album, but we both had different songs in mind. Sahira expected them to start with America's Suitehearts whilst me, being a fan of 27, expected them to start off with that high song. Sahira did tell me that there was a possibility that they would start off with an old song, but I shrugged off that thought as it was supposed to be a concert promoting their new album, Folie A Deux..

Well, I was wrong, they started off with... None other than THANKS FR TH MMRS!

The energy was simply amazing as the audience was sent into a frenzy, just jumping up and down singing along with the band. I must say, they picked their gig songs really well, cause almost all of the songs were very fast paced and left the audience desiring for more...

That's Pete Wentz, the apparent 'hot' guy that most of the girls were swooning after... He was the one doing most of the talking to the audience.. He's quite hilarious and does know how to engage a concert audience!

This was taken when they were performing "I Don't Care" Pete was driving the audience into euphoria when he kept shouting "Say it with me, I... Don't...Care!" as he screamed it repeatedly into the mike before the entire song started. This was followed by Fallout Boy singing "Beat it" .. Now I totally did not expect them to sing that song, but I was GLAD they did cause "Beat It" was probably one of the most upbeat moments of the entire concert!!

And this was when they sang "This Aint A Scene Its an Arms Race" AH DANG THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SONG! haha... I was telling Sahira a Fallout Boy concert would NEVER be complete without this song, and I was so happy when they played this song! The crowd just responded so enthusiastically and this was personally my favourite moment of the entire concert!

Actually come to think of it, the concert was filled with songs from their past albums like A Little Less 16 Candles, Where Is Your Boy, I slept with Someone from fallout Boy, Dance Dance and LOTS more! Although it was a Folie A Deux tour, they only sang about 4 songs from their new album, which was kinda sad cause I really really wanted them to sing some of the new songs from their new album.

They sang I Don't Care, America's Suitehearts, Headfirst Slide into Coopestown and Disloyal Order Of Water Buffalos.

Ahh, my favourite song from the album was 27, and I was kinda disappointed they did not play it, but never mind, I hope that the next time round they come back here, they will be able to play that song!

Speaking of which, here's a video I took of them singing Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, which is also one of my favourite songs from their album

The crowd was pretty well behaved actually. There was no obscene pants ripping, body surfing or whatsoever. I kept myself to the back so I wouldnt be packed in between people like a can of sardines, and well it was a rather wise choice as I could still see the concert and take photos with my own space at the back. The view was great, I enjoyed the concert and I didnt have to be stationed in the mosh pit with so many people pushing just to get to the front...

All in all I must say, my very first concert going experience was a sweet one. It was really enjoyable and I do HOPE that I get to go for more of such concerts. Its more than just hearing bands sing, I like observing people and get awed by the spirit of togetherness showed by music lovers...

Now that's truly a sight to behold...

Once again, THANK YOU SAHIRA (and Seri And Azu) for making this first one a memorable one for me :)

BIRTHDAY DESCRIPTION

2009-02-07T12:18:00.006+08:00

Very true... Based on a Facebook description of my birthday

You always follow the good and the right instead of listening to your heart. Another word, you are a perfectionist. You care for every word people say about you. You often seen isolated while you are, by nature, curious and a dreamer who is ready to get over the edge to make your dream comes true. Your Love, You often fall in love with a person who is much different from you, in age and other aspects. Your relationship grows on friendship. Love at fist sight is not your style.

And how apt. I currently have a problem which I totally do not feel is my fault, but I guess I have to give in since the other party isnt compromising. How sad, but for the greater good, fine I will... I will not listen to my heart

IT JUST HAD TO...

2009-02-05T21:23:00.005+08:00

Just as I thought I was doing fine and settling down well, it just HAD to occur

My worst experience so far

CHAIN OF THOUGHTS

2009-02-03T15:22:00.008+08:00

Hello all!

Sorry I have been abandoning my blog for a while. Have been busy with my teaching stuff to do, sometimes I feel so exhausted to do anything else.

My teaching term has been extended and I'll be teaching English Language till the 6th of March tentative. Now that gives me some time to rest and brace myself mentally for civil defence on the 10th. Dang! That thought still gives me cold shivers...

Classes have been pretty good to me, so far no extreme cases, yet...

My relief classes are all filled with nice kids, most of them at least, and the class I'm taking for english, they are really lovely and receptive people whom I really enjoy teaching. I'm taking Normal Technical english by the way..

Some questions I have been asking myself throughout my entire period working as a teacher.. Now where does a teacher draw the line between being nice and fierce? A teacher has to be strict in order to maintain discipline and orderliness in the class, yet at the same time, he has to be nice in order for his students to respect and like him as a teacher.

Let's face it. No student would like a fierce teacher, and when students dislike a teacher, they do not feel motivated to learn. How about when a teacher really has to be fierce as his students are not paying attention or are not doing their work as expected? Now how fierce should he be then?

There was once I got really mad at my class for not handing in to me my assignment when it was due. Another time I got really mad was when a girl cursed and insulted me in malay, calling me something unpleasant in front of her classmates thinking I was a Chinese and blissfully unaware that she was hurling those words to me. That student got a whole load of hardship from me afterwards inclusive a bad scolding, which taught her that perhaps that I am not one to be trifled with.

I can be nice, but mess with me and you're asking for it

I've been very nice on my classes, too nice in fact, and I have yet to learn how to take the bold move and really scold and put on a frowning face when my students refuse to pay attention or text in my class. So far I have scolded classes really bad for not handing in homework, but that seems to be the only reason why I scold. Now I must learn to be fierce in making sure they listen to me and do not drift away during my own lessons. I know I can do it, sometimes I feel like doing it, but I just do not have the heart to.

So what is the proper way then?

These are my chains of thoughts so far as I move on with my job as a teacher. There are many others which I need answers to, yet I know they do not come instantaneously. I'll find my answers as time passes by.

Somehow I will...

On the bright side, students have been really sweet to me. Some came to meet up with me, telling me that I did a great job reliefing their class for English lesson, up to the point their English teacher was singing praises to my other relief teacher and I for doing our jobs well. They even asked me to relief them again given the chance.

Another class enjoyed my English lesson alot, up to the point they asked their English HOD to attach me to their class to teach them English, and this is the Sec 3 Normal technical class I am currently teaching for the next month.

And finally, my Sec 2 Malay students have been really nice on me, coming to me to say hi or even approaching me to ask me to teach them how to write proper compositions and newspaper reviews.

The fact that they treat me as a senior whom they can look up to when they had problems with their studies showed me that I have somehow succeeded in my mission thus far. I wanted to be not only a teacher in class, but their friend outside class, one whom they could turn to when they need help. They are doing just that to me, a random outsider, and that just goes to show that I have built a relationship with my students, something so meaningful to me.

Perhaps it is this close bond I have with them that makes it so hard for me to scold them. Sometimes I am afraid that after scolding them, they will hate me forever and just shut down during my class. I have my own fears, and I am trying hard to overcome them.

Sometimes taking a bold risky move would be the best option

Has this world turned superficial?

2009-01-25T11:40:00.004+08:00

What is your True Fear? Your Result: Being Alone While you may act like you don't care on the outside, on the inside your biggest fear is being alone. You can be quite shy and reserved. You feel like a lot of times people don't really see the real you. You're afraid that no one will really truly love you, and that you will be alone for the rest of your life. On the inside you are great person, so just remember that and don't let your shy nature get the best of you! If you don't want to be a lone then you need to make an effort to be with someone. Show the people that you care about that you really love them, and chances are someone will always be there, even if you think they won't.
Where Your life is Going
Losing Someone
Commitment
Disappointment
Looked down on
Death
What is your True Fear? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Something struck me today as I was watching this movie "What a Girl wants" on OKTO. It may seem like a typical 'drama queen' kinda movie, but honestly, this movie does have make us think and has many learning points which we ought to learn from,

Most of us dream to be popstars, princes, part of royalty, but is this really what we want and desire out of life? For most of us have at one point or another thought or dreamt of having a life of luxury, yet if we were to look at it from another perspective, that would mean trading who we are and our life for something else in return.

Would you want to trade being you for the fame, crowns and money?

One memorable line from this movie that got me thinking:

"Why are you trying to fit in when you're born to stand out?"

A powerful line which indeed impacted me.Is this world now all about trying to please others around you? Whatever happened to past qualities like being unique and having a sense of identity?

I'd say, those qualities are gone, for now people only care about the opinion of others, even those whom they do not know.

They want to fit in, they want to be accepted

Now if that really is the behaviour of the world today, I certainly would not like to imagine how the world turns out 50 years from now.

Festive Atmosphere

2009-01-25T09:24:00.004+08:00

To my fellow Chinese readers, Have a very HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Well, thats for tomorrow, but for today, make sure you guys enjoy your reunion dinner with your families alright? Take this time to bond and catch up on familiy members you have not seen and met for the past few months or so.

I've got a 'reunion dinner' of my own today, my extended family from my mum's is coming over to my place tonight for a barbeque by the park nearby.

Lets soak in the festive atmosphere together!

Happy holidays! :)

Ask me to stop thinking and I'll just die

2009-01-24T18:34:00.005+08:00

Random ramblings...

First and foremost, I think my sister redefines the definition of patriotism. She was surfing youtube for songs like Home, Where I Belong, and was singing along to the tunes again and again like tomorrow's National Day. Singapore needs citizens like her, now beat that.

Secondly, I think Manchester City should really get a grip on themselves. I know the owner of this club is from Abu Dhabi and probably has the amount of money to flaunt off leaving others speechless, but he really should learn that money is not everything. Manchester City should just keep with the current players it has and build its reputation as a club through its football playing styles as well as tactics. Ireland is good, so is Robinho, now just work on them and create a name via these players. Don't have to go around offering others like Bridge, Bellamy, Kaka and Drogba a pay that can only be considered sane in the next century, and expect them to take up the offer. Just by doing this, Manchester City is only trying to prove that it only wants to be a club filled with world class players, not a world class club.

Thirdly, I really salute Kaka for not taking up the offer from Manchester City. He has proven that money isnt everything and that loyalty to a club or an association should be something one should value. He plays for the passion and the love for his club, and apparently its not about the money for him. Now this is truly someone we all should look up to as a role model :)

And finally, I think I'm starting to feel the effects of teaching, even in my sleep. Just yesterday I dreamt of Social Studies books with words popping out as well as students asking me questions non-stop.

Not a good sign Zul, not good....

BITTER SWEET

2009-01-23T18:45:00.003+08:00

School just ended, and there's a four day break in between before I go for my next class.. Was called down to school today to do relief teaching for 2 classes and they were pretty well behaved.

I especially enjoyed my stay in 5B as the students there were nice, receptive and friendly. Although they had to do this composition and I am pretty sure they were dreading it since they were supposed to be in a festive mood, they were very cooperative and actually passed it up to me without much complaints (: The class even told me to write some well wishes down for them on the class notice board although this is only the second time I'm seeing them.

Chinese New Year celebrations was next. The concert was not bad, and I enjoyed myself with the relief teachers as we just celebrated the atmosphere in each others presence. Life's good when you have such lovely pals to go through all these hardship with you.

Speaking of which, yesterday's happening still has not been dispersed totally from my mind and I'm rather bothered by it. So far I've been doing fine with all the other classes, and even though for some of them its their first time seeing me, we usually settle down and get to know each other fast enough up to the point the students can joke around with me or listen to me as I go on and on with what I have to present. However for this one particular class I had problems.

My first encounter with them was last week and even so we already started off on a bad note. The kids didnt wanna listen and as I took that class for relief I had to be very stern and strict with them to keep them contained, and I don't think they liked me for that. First impression, bad.

Then yesterday I had to meet them again, this time to teach, and just as I guessed, they didnt wanna listen and some kids at the back were throwing papers and all when they were supposed to read. Tried using the slow talk method, but later they were at it again, so this time I was very strict. I gave them a stare and asked them if they were willing to learn. They quietened down, but once again as I tried to teach they made so much noise I just decided to end the lesson and walk off. Before I did I told them that I dont get angry for nothing and I explained to them their behaviour and how it was unacceptable for them to behave this way.

I thought at least by doing that they would understand and appreciate it that I am trying to talk things out with them, but sadly, no. The kids threw me glum and unhappy faces, and some unhappy kids claimed I was only biased against their class. I was patient and calm as I walked out of that class but dang, that comment, it was like a sphere right through me. That incident just ruined the entire day of fun I had, and even up till today I am wondering if I could have handled the situation any better.

Ohh well, I hope the next time I enter there I wouldnt have to do this ever again. I hate scolding people, although I will when I really have to.

Okay, on the bright side, for this week I really met some lovely classes. I miss teaching 2A, whose chirpiness and friendliness greeted me when I had to relief their class twice. I miss teaching 2B, who was pretty much one of the very first few classes I took for relief. I miss 2I, whose kids can be super hyper, yet at least they do their work and listen to you. And I miss 4B, with the kids so well behaved and interactive and intellectual. Ms Sng is back to teach them. I'm happy she's back, but I'm sad that I won't get an opportunity to teach them anymore.. Ohh welll... That's life for you.

Okay now though CNY is round the corner, the workload is just piling up! GOSH! But hey zul, don't compain. Remember, teaching beats NS, ANYTIME!

Yes, complain I won't

Poem Writing Lessons with Mr Zul!

2009-01-21T19:19:00.003+08:00

And just before I go, I'm so proud of myself, so I have to showcase two poems I whipped up in just over an hour cause I decided to teach "Poem Writing" for my English classes. HAHA! Enjoy! The first one is an acrostic poem with the initials "ALICE"
.
Astoundingly beautiful she is, leaving me breathless at first glance
Likeable by many, with a character so demure and sweet
Inspirational and loving, she spurs me on with every moment
Catching her smile, it was picture perfect, as I found myself melting
Entangled in love, someone help me please, I think she stole my heart away

and this is the second one. I was teaching my students how to write poems with themes, and I decided to write on the theme of winter using rhyming as a technique to help me. Here goes:

Give me light, on this cold winter's night
Where the frosty flakes fall and the cold winds bite
Where heat and warmth disappears completely from sight
Lonely and cold, please save me from this current plight

People around me freezing, with jackets clutched tight
My surrounding's dull, all blanketed in white
The trees once majestic, now shredded of might
As life takes on winter, life loses the fight

I miss the sights of birds soaring to height
I miss the times where my day started right
I miss the sun, all cheery and bright
I plead for life, on this cold winter's night

Hope you enjoyed the read! (:

MY JOURNEY SO FAR

2009-01-21T18:55:00.004+08:00

I am beginning to love my relief teaching sting. I guess when you get fonder of your surroundings, your colleagues and the students there, you just have this sense of belonging and lovingness towards them that you feel so bonded with them.

Dang, this is goinna be hard on me when I finally have to leave Teck Whye Sec.

I know I started off on a pessimistic note, but somehow it has drawn to me that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow can only be reached once you make the effort to walk across the perimeters of the rainbow to attain the gold. Okay rubbish, you cannot walk across a rainbow, but I think you got my figure of speech. Starting off on a bad note doesnt mean anything, for as you start your journey there are bound to be obstacles along the way. Once you get past them, you'll begin to realize that you're a stronger person who knows better when it comes to dealing with hardship and obstacles.

I've passed through mine. I know how to handle the students, and I have learnt to understand them and their wants better inside out. I mean, I aint that much older than them anyway, so understanding them was easy.

Even when I had to scold my classes, I do not do so compulsively and unnecessarily. I scold them when the time calls for it, yet I never lose my cool completely. I maintain a clear mind, and once I'm done with my scolding or lecturing, I'll explain to them their mistakes and what they have done wrong. I don't believe in publically humiliating my students for that will only make them hate me more, so when I need to pinpoint them, I'll do so discreetly.

One thing I learnt from my term as a teacher, if you want your kids to respect you, you've gotta first respect them as adults and treat them as one. The way you treat them in class says it all, and I guess thats what makes my students respect me and never doubt my authority as a teacher up till now although I just barely knew them, and I am thankful that they are such lovely people to teach.

So far things have been on the rather bright side for me. Hopefully as the weeks passes, I hope it would all only get better and better. I'm pretty confident it will.

I used to dread the idea of teaching a secondary school, but now I feel I'm a more matured person and its all turned out to be a blessing in disguise

The Teacher

2009-01-19T21:00:00.002+08:00

HEY ALL!

Wow its been quite a long time since I last updated this blog of mine. Ever since I started the new year, I havent had time to myself as there have just been soo many things I have been keeping myself occupied with.

For a start, to those of my friends who havent already known, I am currently spending my time as a relief teacher in Teck Whye Secondary School. Today marks the second week of my job there and supposedly I end tomorrow, but well I have good news! My teaching term has been extended and I'll now be an English teacher to a few classes till March 09 where I report for NS, like it or not.

So far teaching has been an eye opener for me. I've always wanted to be a teacher and now, right before my eyes, the opportunity lands itself in front of me. I've always been a student all my life, for about 12 years and counting, so this experience of role reversal was rather weird, yet experiential to me at the same time.

I've experienced the ins and outs of a teacher, and I must say that this ain't a smooth sailing job like many of us perceive it to be. Being a teacher is very challenging, and tiring I must add, especially when you have to teach, handle your class, mark and do so many other stuff at the same time.

If you get an angelic class, then good for you. But if your students are those rebellious kind, then good luck to you, for they may be very tough to handle.

For me, my first day of work was actually kinda scary. I had problems maintaining peace and order in my class and I almost felt like teaching was not meant for me at all. There was one point in time I panicked cause I realized that if I do not teach, my future would be very uncertain and bleak as I have no idea what I would grow up to be.

The next few days were probably similar experiences, but thank god now things are beginning to pick up and I'm finally learning how to handle my classes well. The fun's finally starting to kick in!

hehh... Update you guys more as I start my term starting tomorrow ya? WISH ME LUCK!

Cya guysss!

Uncertainties

2009-01-13T23:26:00.002+08:00

Day one as a relief teacher was hell.

Day two as a relief teacher was fulfilling.

What does day three hold for me?

Uncertainties uncertainties...

"YES I AM SINGAPOREAN" BLOG CONTEST

2009-01-07T21:04:00.012+08:00

There are times where we as humans take things around us for granted. Its normal human nature, I confess. There are times where I too have succumbed to this, and of the things I realized is that I take my country for granted at times too.

The country which has provided me comfort, care, security all these while. The country I call home

So this entry is dedicated to my dearest country Singapore. I'm goinna kill two birds with one stone now, to enter a contest I read about on the net recently in which I have to write about what makes me uniquely Singapore, and to fulfill this dedication.

So here goes, I LOVE SINGAPORE! Its true, I really do, and one of the evidences to prove this is to show I am very Singaporean at heart, that I am a uniquely Singaporean kid.

So what makes me a Singaporean? Here are 9 reasons to prove this:

Students from my school were once asked to bring our favourite fruits to school and I actually was contemplating on whether to bring a durian to school. No kidding, a durian, cause I apparently love the king of fruits, especially those with the creamy yellow flesh like the D24. The feeling attained after eating the durian is just lovely and heavenly, and I have no idea why others simply cannot stand the smell and even taste of durians. Perhaps opinions differ, but I still proudly proclaim that I love durians. Its a uniquely Singaporean fruit.

I love music, and I love randomly singing songs that appeal to me at that moment. Call me weird, but there are times where I'll simply ditch songs from the top 40 charts like Rihanna and Chris Brown, for local Singaporean songs like the ever iconic "Five Stars Arising" and "Moments of Magic" You wouldnt believe me if I said this, but "Moments of Magic" was actually on the favourite section of my MP3 playlist at one point in time due to the touching lyrics and magical tune that appeals to the ears. I proudly proclaim I am a fan of such songs, for they are uniquely Singaporean songs.

Nostalgic places such as Kampung Glam and Bukit Chandu happens to be places I LOVE visiting especially when I am stressed and need time out by myself, as they are really peaceful places and they never fail to remind me of my past heritage and origins. I really am delighted that the government decided to retain these places, for I have fond memories of my past through these places which can never be attained anywhere else. They are uniquely Singaporean memories.

Getting married in exotic places such as the Eiffel Tower and Niagara Falls may be a dream come true to some, but I'm not one who conforms to this dream. In fact, I actually once told my acquaintances that I wanted to get married in Singapore, near the Merlion. I mean, it is exotic since Singapore is the only country with this landmark! What's uncool about that? It is a uniquely Singaporean landmark.

Although I have been taking English as a core subject for 9 long years, there are times where I simply succumb to speaking Singlish! Can't help it, I'm Singaporean lor! Woops, see, I did it again! Singlish, it is a uniquely Singaporean language.

Prata from Jalan Kayu, satay from Sembawang Satay Club, Carrot cake from Tanjong Katong, Nasi Lemak from Changi Village. You ask me about such food, I know all about them cause I'm a Singaporean and Singaporean loves such sinful delights. They're uniquely Singaporean food.

One word, just mention "free" and I'll be there to beat the queue to redeem my free gifts no matter how long it may take, even if it means coming way ahead of the stipulated time stated. I am prepared. I'm a kiasu Singaporean, and that's a uniquely Singaporean attitude.

Reaper and Friends may be world class comedies watched by the entire globe, but I still prefer watching the local comedies like Under One Roof and Phua Chu Kang. In fact, I remember myself as a little boy always rushing to come home from school just to watch reruns of these local comedies on TV in the afternoons. They can be rather plain in terms of content, but I find pleasure in simply laughing along with the manner in which they portray us Singaporeans as, since we can relate to whatever is being portrayed. They can never be remade by any overseas companies, as the local flavour would be lost then. They are uniquely Singaporean programmes.

Exploring the world map one day, I realized that I could not point out where the United States of America was despite it being so very huge, yet I could actually point out Singapore which was just a small little dot on that world map. That sums it up, I have proven I am uniquely Singaporean.

I hope my 9 reasons have been enough to show my readers regarding what makes me a Singaporean. (Just for the record, read the first letter of each reason in white, it spells SINGAPORE.. haha!) As for how people can pick us up from an international crowd, I must say it will be pretty tough for others to recognize us as Singaporeans overseas as there are no unique Singaporean qualities which could possibly distinct us from the international crowd as of now.

Perhaps tourists can distinguish us as Singaporeans via some of our common Singaporean traits such as speaking Singlish or bargaining feverishly for the best deals, hence showing a kiasu attitude. I'm just making a wild guess here, as these are the answers I get from my foreign friends when I ask them how they recognize Singaporeans overseas.

As for us Singaporeans, we can identify those of our kind via this special gut feeling which I cannot explain in words. I'm pretty sure you've heard of this thing called the "common Singapore identity" and maybe this is something all Singaporeans have in common up to the point we can identify our kind in a foreign country. I too have done it many times correctly, but don't ask me how, cause I just did it with my own gut feeling. Some others may call the idea of having a "common Singapore identity" unrealistic but my take is that there really is this "common Singaporean identity" in us which makes it very easy for us to spot our own kind.

I am proud to be a Singaporean. I always have been. What about you? :)

Yes, I'm Singaporean! Blog Contest
Check out other Singaporeans at mySingapore.sg

Geography

2009-01-06T10:50:00.003+08:00

I just landed myself a permenant relief teaching job as a Geography teacher.

See see, I KNEW some good would eventually arise from playing Geo Challenge on Facebook.

Dang I should start reading up and know my stuff or I'll make a complete fool of myself since the last time I took geography was back in secondary four.

Rivers Boulders Deforestation Weathering Erosion

We'll see how it goes :)

And oh yes I havent updated on my new year resolutions yet! Maybe soon!

Flooding Tornado Oxbow Lake Meander Cumulonimbus Cirrus

Dont mind my my friends

Mini-MLCS Meet Up

2009-01-02T20:36:00.004+08:00

Overdue entry! A small MLCS meet up to just chill and have fun as a final means of saying goodbye to Haziq whose embarking on his NS adventure next week. As usual, a great bunch of people whom I really enjoyed my time with, and I hope this bond will continue to remain strong even after we leave NY. Thanks to all who came!

And for haziq my dearest friend and buddy, take care of yourself as you enter a new phase of your life alright? I'm pretty sure we all will miss you and your weird self. HAHA kidding kidding. Meet up soon, and stay the way you are okay! (: Dont become a mat once u come out of there. wahahaha!

I woke up

2009-01-01T09:54:00.000+08:00

Hello 2009!

You loved me for who I was

2008-12-29T23:49:00.006+08:00

Second attempt at a love poem. It was SUPPOSED to be funny, but it somehow turned into a sweet story. Oh gosh I need to keep my emotions in check. LOL!

Dear we've known each other for so long
And you know our love stands strong
Ask me for anything, for you I will
Just not your spouse-to-be please, for myself I'd kill

I've got a long way to go before all that
I'm honestly just not ready yet

I shoot my mouth, and I find that cool
I laugh like a witch, when I do, I drool
I sleep like a log and I snore like a pig
Plus when time permits, my nose I'll pick

A million other habits I have, all so compelling and true
Just to please your heart dear, I named a few
Now my habits confessed, and I'm ready for your plan
So dear, are you ready to ask for my hand?

The typical girl would have been disgusted
The typical girl would have been enthralled
Yet you took my hand, you made me yours
You passed my test, cause you loved me for who I was

Now that I'm yours, let the real me surface from within (:

I'd rather you hate me for who I am
Rather than deceiving others into loving who I'm not

The oil-water analogy

2008-12-29T17:41:00.003+08:00

We can never see eye to eye with those from the older generation no matter how much we try to. Maybe that's the way life is supposed to function.

Perhaps as we grow older we'll begin to see some light in whatever they have been trying to bring across to us.

As of now, just accept this fact, move on.

Oil and water will never mix, can they?

Ironies

2008-12-26T16:35:00.006+08:00

I know that people get angry and frustrated at me when I perform my job cause my job requires me to put myself in others shoes. When I find the right pair of shoes that suits me, I walk away quickly and quietly before others notice. Yes, I steal shoes for a living.

I don't understand what the entire point of jotting that down was, but hey, I found that rather punny! (funny, get it? Well, it was meant to go both ways. Never mind if you don't)

The beauty of words

Sometimes I feel we as humans think too much. Some words are meant to be literal yet we spend so much time analysing them when there's nothing much to decode to begin with.

Then again, when something requires a more in-depth thinking apart from its literal meaning, we suddenly become clueless so as to what is the real meaning lying beneath a word so innocent.

Ironies ironies...

Randomness

2008-12-25T23:55:00.003+08:00

If there's one thing I realized today, its that I'm weird.

School kids are probably downing their sorrows or mellowing over the fact that December is ending and that the school term is starting. Well, I'm the utter opposite.

I can't wait to break up with December and meet up with January. So there.

And oh, I reduced the entropy of my room out of boredom today. Go figure :)

Whatever happened to that love so fine?

2008-12-25T12:20:00.006+08:00

I've written so many poems, but this is my first attempt at a love poem :) Enjoy reading!

Two am and my eyes refuse to budge
The head says sleep, yet the heart remains unfazed
Shattered, broken, all thanks to you
The one I called love, the cause of this grievance

Provebial sticks and stones never succeeded in breaking my heart
Yet your words pierced right through, leaving a scar so deep

Whatever happened to that love so fine?
That foundation we painstakingly built up, all that's left are memories
I thought I gave you my word of devotion, and you gave me yours
Tell me, what happened between us dear?

You wanted the stars, I scaled the greatest mountains for you
You yearned for pearls, I braved the stormy seas for you
This, dear, my word of devotion to you
Could this proof of love be so insufficient as you put it out to be?

Whatever happened to that love so fine?
That foundation we painstakingly built up, all that's left are memories
Dear I gave you my all, and I'm left with nothing more
Just so you know, its not me, its you ...

Youth Olympics Host!

2008-12-23T16:03:00.005+08:00

Hey all!

Announcement: I'm officially part of the Youth Olympics Games!!

I was trying very hard to think of ways to get involved in this event, especially since its a global event and its goinna be a first for Singapore hosting an event. Imagine, the experience you're goinna get and the resume you'll receive just from being part of this event!

Two months ago I saw this advertisements calling out for sports commentators. I love announcing and hosting, and it turned out that the YOG organizers were looking for Singaporean teenagers to do hosting, announcing and sport commentating during the event itself.

Most of my friends encouraged me to join and go ahead for the auditions, while others just told me that there will be many others going for it and that I'll probably never get chosen.

Nonetheless, I decided to give it a shot and attend the Sports Commentator Selection Camp to try my luck. Who knows right?

Today I received this email from the organizers:
.
You've been selected to be a Host for the Youth Olympic Games 2010! You'll be one of those energetic souls trying to rah rah the crowd at the competition venues.

From here, we do hope to see your wholehearted committment once training begins in March 2009. As Mark mentioned, trainings can take place from once a week, to once every two weeks and MOE is going to make Sports Presentation a CCA. So no worries about CCA points or weights, if that system is still in use. Although you'll be considered as volunteers only, I'm sure your participation in the very first YOG right here in our own country will be a very valuable experience.

I can't believe it but hey, I made it through as a host!! Time to refine my hosting skills so I can tackle being a host for a global event. So guys, I might just be on TV two years from now introducing the sports you guys are keen in watching! =D

To all of my acquaintances, thanks loads for all the support and encouragement you guys have been giving me for the past two months! It might sound cliched, but without all your help, I wouldnt have even thought of applying for this post in the first place!

:)

Coincidences

2008-12-19T16:48:00.002+08:00

I was going for my Friday prayers alone. I sat in the 965 bus, and as the bus stopped at one of the stops, up came one of my classmates, Haziq. A moment after, we saw another person going up the bus, another one of my classmates Eddy. Turned out all three of us were heading for the same place unknowingly.

I went out alone as an individual, I alighted with two other individuals whom happened to be close relations of mine.

HOW COOL IS THAT? =D

30th Council Chalet 2008

2008-12-19T11:33:00.004+08:00

was a blast for me, and I enjoyed the time spent with the 30th SC Councillors!

Met Yong Cheng in the morning to grab all the barbequed stuff like the metal grills and all before we headed off to Escape Theme Park! I was really looking forward to playing the Inverter and the Radio especially since I've been to Escape 3 times before this, but just like before, it either rained or is in maintainance, this time is no difference. SWAY FACTOR HIGH! =(

Anyhoots, we still got to play the Daytona Kart which was a first for me, and I really enjoyed my time there nonetheless! Driving a car was fun, and that gave me a little insight to what driving a real car would be like... Ah man, I suddenly feel like getting a license! Its really fun, but the stress level is seriously scary when you're handling the thing. That sums up a day of fun at Escape! The next time I get there, I'm making sure those two rides arent on maintainance.. HAHA!

Scenery at the top of the Go Kart area

After that we went for the Council Chalet which was absolutely fun! During the previous council meetup, I learnt how to play bridge, and for this one, I learnt how to play Mahjong!

Yup, Mahjong's more likely to be played by Chinese but Zul here already knows how to play the game! My friends were quite amazed at this but well, I guess you can always pick something new up when you have the determination to. Plus, I had one of the bestest shifu's like YI LONG SIR, so of course I'll pick it up alright! Reading the chinese characters was very very tough, but wahaha in the end I managed!

That night, after the barbeque, most of us went on a game marathon, playing Bridge and Mahjong non-stop in an attempt to stay awake. Of course, most of us managed to do so, although after playing mahjong for 3 hours straight, we felt like just going to bed and sleeping. Somehow, Inez saved us all as she initiated a chatting session with the topic of initiation during relationships.

Now this was a very very interesting topic and all of us just dished out what we had to say about the counterparts of our dreams as well as which gender we felt should be the one initiating the first move. All of us participated actively in this, with some expressing their heartfelt contents towards this issue, and I felt very bonded, in fact more bonded than ever to this group of people.

I had a question directed at me, and that question was to describe the qualities I want in the girl of my dreams. Ouch, hard, and I thought the single ones would be saved from this interrogation session. How wrong I was.. HAHA!

A tough question to answer, and I think I answered it to the best of my abilities. Mwahaha.... Maybe one day I'll blog about this if I want to :)

Alrightey, now that's all for the Council chalet! I hope 30th will be able to hold more of such barbeques!

BYE!

Youth Olympics Sports Presenters Course

2008-12-12T21:47:00.010+08:00

was indeed a course which I'll never ever regret attending

At first it seemed as if I was all alone in this. The process of wanting to sign up was hard. You know me, I do not like going for things alone, yet I forced myself to go for the opportunity when it surfaces and thus, I signed up for this course.

Little did I know that my dear friends Yan Yu and Aisyah too signed up for the same course and we're in the same group! Now that was a huge relief to me alright.

The course was really very interesting, and with Marc Richmond as our trainer, we were really kept entertained with his hilarious antics and humourous way of presenting his points across.

We were taught many things, like how to present effectively as a host, the do's and dont's of a good host, exercises to warm the tongue and face up as well as many other important knowledge we needed to be equipped with in order to show that we were worthy of being called a good host. The participants were STUPENDOUS, I tell you! All of them just blew me away with the manner in which they presented their speeches, and some of them are just 13 or 14 years old. Imagine the huge amount of talent these people possess at such a young young age! Gosh, when they grow up, I am sure they will use this talent and do Singapore proud :)

Okay so at the end of the entire process, we had to do 2 recordings, one solo recording in which we had to present ourselves in front of the camera and speak about our favourite person, as well as a cohosting segment in which we had to pair up with another person and pretend as if we were television hosts or disc jockeys.

Personally, I felt that I did rather alright, but I was rather angry with myself for repeating my past mistakes time and again, in the sense that I always take a very long time to warm up to people around me. The very first day, I wanted very much to talk to the participants of the course, but I decided not to and just keep to the group I know.

Familiarity, that was all I keep searching for, yet I forgot that it was time for me to learn to put myself out of my comfort zone and just loosen up and do my thing. It was only a two day course, and I finally forced myself to make friends today with the people around me.

About time Zul..

I should have done it yesterday, I really should have! But alright, fine, I think I'll learn from this mistake in the future

The people I talked to today were really really nice people! In fact, we got so close that weirdly enough, although we barely talked during the process of this camp, the bond we had was a rather strong one that we started chatting and joking as we walked home. Ah shucks, life would have been so much better had I talked to them yesterday... HAHA!

Either way, I must say, I am glad I forged this friendship bond with them as they truly have made an impact in me.

There's two of my good friends Yan Yu and Aisyah, whom have helped me through this entire two day process. Without them I have no idea if I would have been as expressive and open as I have been throughout the process of this camp!

There's Amirah, known as the hot Malay cheerleader by one of the camp participants. I can see why he said that alright, she's really tall, pretty and such a nice person to talk to! The very first new friend I made, and I am glad I am now friends with her! Somehow when I look at her, I am really reminded of Shahidah cause there is something in them that really bears a striking resemblance to each other =D Amirah that's a compliment! HAHA!

There's Jeremy who looks like Yong Cheng and Zhen Hao at the same time, although I have no idea how that's possible! A funny and nice guy who ran away before I could even manage to take a photo with him! Tsk tsk, the next time I meet you, you're not goinna run away alright? HAHA!

There's the 2 sisters Jun Teng and Kelly, the really cute and pretty sisters who both have a flair for speaking! Small physiques, yet amazing voices they possess in them that will definitely wow the audience! When I mean amazing voices, it's partly the quality of their voices which can be seen as sweet and pleasant, but it is actually how they present their speeches in such a convincing and sincere manner that will sway their audiences. Glad to know these girls!

And finally, there's the NS boy who honestly doesnt look his age as he looks so young and youthful, Alan! =D Haha what an intro, but well, Alan if you're reading this, be honoured okay! Whee.. This guy is one cool dude, intelligent, goodlooking and speaks fluently. He's currently serving his final two months of NS before he moves on to University in the course which happens to be one that I hope to enter too should I get results as good as his =D Alan, its been great knowing you too!

Results for our auditions on whether we make it through will be made known on either wednesday or thursday, and I really HOPE that the people I just mentioned on this blog makes it through together as one. It might sound cliched, but even if one of us doesnt make it, I really will feel very sad as these people are really close to me now and I really hope I will be given the opportunity to train and work with them for the Youth Olympics. Let's hope for the best guys!

To my other coursemates whom I have not had the chance to interact with yet, you guys are really great great great coursemates to have! Thanks for all the laughter and joy, and I also really hope all of you get through! XD
.
Thats all for now, updates soon!
.
BYE!

The Long Overdue Indonesian Trip Entry

2008-12-10T22:48:00.003+08:00

I would very much like to blog about my trip to Indonesia, but that would take up a loooottt of my time since there are so many pictures, so many experience I want to talk about. Let them all be summarized in this video I came up with.

To the 22 individuals, thanks for all the lovely memories you guys have given me. This trip has opened my eyes to the world outside and had it not been for this trip, I wouldnt have even gotten the chance to know all of you guys or get closer to those I already know.

To Cikgu Khalidah and Mdm Ainon, I thank the both of you for putting this entire trip together, giving in your all in making sure that the trip went successful and that all of us enjoyed the trip.

To Danial and Ridhwan, thanks for being great chatting buddies whenever we felt bored and needed something to do. I definitely have learnt more about you guys through this trip! XD

To Darren and Glenn, I have actually seen you guys around in school and have worked with you guys before but never ever have I dreamt that we would be this close, like you know, going shopping together and bunking together in each other's rooms! HAHA! Darren, worked with you countless times during your house exco term and Glenn, now werent't you an Orientation Group leader? =D I'm glad to be given the opportunity to get to now you guys personally, and now I think you guys simply rock! Keep the friendship going ya?

To Firdaus, thanks for being a great buddy to hang out with during the trip. Sorry for the incident (you know what it is =D ) and I'll try my best to repay my part as soon as possible ya. HAHA never thought i'd be this close to you too seriously. My primary one madrasah friend turns out to be a good JC friend of mine, now that's not too much to ask for isnt it? :P

To Hariz and Luqman, my dearest secondary school juniors. Its been fun hanging out with you guys! I'll see you guys more often next year yea? Make sure you guys bring MLCS soaring to greater heights! hahaha...

To Haziq, Eddy, Imran, all of whom I treat as those closest to me since forever, this trip has given me a chance to get to know you guys better in person and strengthen the friendship bond amongst us. Hope this continues on into adulthood okay? Keep in touch! :)

To Khairul, my tummy never fails to hurt whenever I am around you. Seriously dude, your random jokes, funny antics and sarcasm never fail to make me smile and laugh. A trip isnt fun when Khairul isnt around aint I right? =D Through this trip, getting to know you better in person was indeed a good thing, cause you're a friendly person whom everyone surely loves!

To Huda, Lyana and Renee, the three little girls, babysitting you guys was a wonderful experience for me, especially since I wanna be a teacher when I grow up! hehee then I can write this in my resume! =D HAHA okay i was kidding, really... Thanks for accompanying me through all the boring bus rides with the random chats, singalong sessions and all. It really wouldnt have been a memorable trip without you guys! And you can be sure I mean what I just said :)

To Farhanah, Syakirah and Shahidah, I already knew you guys before this trip through the many uncountable study sessions and all. Before this I know I might have come across as serious and all based on my personality in-built via council which was what most of you saw, and my main aim during this trip was to get closer to my friends such as you guys, and in the process revealing a more laid back, humourous side of me. I dont know if I have succeeded, but I HOPE i have managed to forge a closer friendship bond with you guys and reveal that side of me :) HAHA! I already miss you guys. Go out soon!

To Linda and Michelle, YOU TWO! If I could turn back time, I wished I could have spent more time getting to know you guys and talk to you guys more. Seriously! Its quite sad we only started talking like what, on day 5? And thats when half the trip is gone and we realize we have very little time left to socialize. HAHA ohh well, its better late than never right? Lets go out, have a chat and just catch up on lost time yea? We still have a date, cause I couldnt make it for our coffee date with Glenn and Darren on the last night of the programme! Remember remember? =D Meet up soon yea?

And that'll pretty much sum up my Indo trip entry. Hope you guys enjoyed the video yea?

BYE!

Facedoubles

2008-12-09T13:44:00.004+08:00

Facebooking has always been the thing for me since the holidays officially started, and recently I came across this cool application called facedoubles where they will compare our facial features and match it with that of a celebrity.

Guess who my counterpart was? Any guesses?

Its Lewis Hamilton!

Just what's up with me and F1? HAHA! Then again, I think I do see some resemblances between my facial features and his. The previous few I tried, I got some others and Jake Gylainhall which was absolutely too good to be true obviously, so yeap Lewis Hamilton is the closest I think!

What do YOU think? =D

Facebook pals, vote if you have the time yea! HAHA! Dont forget to try out this cool application for yourself!

Hari Raya Aidiladha preparations

2008-12-07T21:27:00.002+08:00

are finally done and I'm just sitting by waiting for the day to pass, before I formally welcome tomorrow.

Hari Raya Aidiladha has always been a more low key affair for my family, and even up till now, I wonder if this day is actually supposed to be a happy or sad affair.

For one, it is, hari raya, which means Celebration Day, so judging by the name it should be a joyous occasion to be celebrate.

Then again, it is also a day where we remember the people who are miles away from us, performing the pilgrimage in Mecca. I've not had my parents miles away from me for so many days, so I guess I won't know how sad it actually can get, but judging from my cousins who already have experienced it, the sadness experienced is one of a kind.

So there you have it, if we were to lump the two together, it would be more like a day to celebrate the success of those miles away from us for successfully performing the pilgrimage.

Here's where bitter sweet comes into place I guess.

Anyways, enough of ranting for now. So to all my Muslim friends, here's wishing you a SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILADHA!

Take this opportunity to make your long overdue minta maafs that have been long brought forward from Hari Raya Aidilfitri! HAHA! Come on, do it. I'm waiting :)

SEE YOU GUYS!

And Vidic Saves the Day

2008-12-07T05:20:00.002+08:00

for Manchester United as he scored their only goal in the 91st minute

I must say, it couldnt have come at a better time than this, or United would have had to face humiliation from their own fans. Needless to say, that aim of winning the premier league would have been one level harder had they lost this match.

Huda and I stayed awake to catch this match, and boy was it a nervewrecking match for us, especially towards the final few minutes of the game.

United, never, EVER, do this to your fans ever again :)