classroom n ocean

2009-06-22T15:13:00.002+08:00

Cynthia, my husband and I only managed 3 major things for the 8 days 7 nights in Tioman.

Eat. Sleep. Dive.

2009-06-05T21:43:00.003+08:00

A little aside for the Ubin trip.

This year, we started preparing dinner much, much earlier and consequently, we were able to start our night cycling even before the sun set. As usual, the Sea Scouts took it in turn to lead the trail. We made for Nordin beach using the the off road trail and due to the construction around the prawn sluice gates area, the trail layout became unfamiliar.

It was rather daunting to cycle along that muddy, rocky, port holes filled made-shift road. It became more scary when we were trying to maneuver the bicycles across many of these obstacles in the half-light conditions. In the end, we gave up this leg of the journey totally and made a U-turn. Erhm, I wouldn't say that the hooves marks on the muddy trail did not made its point with us. I would not want my Sea Scouts and Akelas to meet with a family of charging wild boars in these diminishing visibility conditions.

If I was scared initially, I was terrified while we were making our way out of the off road trail. I was not able to make out the person cycling directly in front of me! We resorted to calling out loud. Were we relieved when we reached the tarmac road!

We went for a drink or two at the shop with no fixed prices - somehow, the shopkeeper charges different prices for the same items. The jetty was breezy and it was nice to laze around before heading back.

Nobody talked about the returned trail but well, you guessed it, we decided to stick to the tarmac road!

2009-06-05T21:10:00.003+08:00

Manta Ray Sea Scouts Hike cum photographer badge
05/06/09

I cannot believe that the last time I brought Cub Scouts to the island was 4 years ago as informed by my indignant Akela group last night while we were on the jetty enjoying the breeze. They have never been to Ubin!

After breakfast and striking tents this morning, we cycled- tents, equipments and all to the jetty to await for the cub scouts. Thanks to the other 3 leaders, Yanling, Wanling and Marcia, the cub scouts had a rather uneventful bumboat ride to Ubin.

The real ordeal began after that nice group photo. I believed the hike to be one of the most gruesome undertaken by the cubs. We hiked from the jetty to Chek Jawa, clambered onto the boardwalk, peaked the observation tower, trekked through the off-beaten trail to Mamam beach for outdoor cooking and finally concluded by another hike back to the jetty. A whole 10 km of hike. I measured.

Well done, cub scouts! You have shown us that you have courage in enduring this whole hike. I am rather proud of the majority of the cub scouts, I believed many of them enjoyed this trip.

I am even more proud of my Akelas and Sea Scouts. Even though they must be really tired after a night under the stars, they were able to facilitate and lead the hike, conduct the outdoor cooking and take care of their charges! Kudos to you guys and gal. :)

How can I not thank my leaders? I suggested a trip to Ubin and all my leaders unanimously agreed. Angie led the Sea Scouts and Akelas with me for the overnight camp, Jacques came to support for the outdoor cooking and the night cycling. Wanling, Yanling and Marcia, despite the mozzie bites and the long long trek, good naturedly ploughed through it all.

Manta Ray rocks, seriously.

2009-06-05T20:25:00.003+08:00

04/06/09~05/06/09
Manta Ray Sea Scouts annual pilgrimage to Ubin.

For once, it didn't rain in Ubin.

As far as my memory serves me, every overnight camping in Ubin is sure to be accompanied by rain. The weather this time round could not have been more different than the previous one. For that camp, I remembered that the rain came in torrents and by the time we reached our campsite, there was not an inch of dry skin to be found anywhere on our body! It was scorching hot this visit and many of us were actually reminsciencing about the weather during the previous visit! Talk about fussy Singaporeans!

We had a rather, for want of a better word, unorthodox menu from the Sea Scouts this year, it rather deviates from my idea of backwoods cooking. Oh well, like what I told Mrs Goh, let them try, we may have surprises. The banana dessert from Dolphin's group was nice. The other item's erhm....good try good try! :)

I almost forgot the presence of an irksome insect - the sandflies. I was rudely reminded this morning when I woke up inside the tent scratching my legs. My worst fears came true after we reached school, my skin along the length of my legs were punctured by little bumps that itch like mad! For others sharing my fate, I would recommend the aloe vera. Mind you peel off the outer skin first before use! Rub the jelly-like substance over the affected areas and stay in an air-conditioned room. The cool temperature prevents your skin from being irritated and hence reducing the itch.

Of course, I am sun burnt. For people with tan complexion like me, we tend to turn red before turning dark brown. This afternoon I was lobster colour, now I am milk chocolate colour. Oh well, another excuse to splash on Body Shop's white musk body lotion and switching on the air-con!

PS. I have a healthy aloe vera plant growing outside my house, if you need it, let me know.
PPS. Hey guys, do not be discouraged, looking forward to yet another outdoor cooking session!

2009-06-01T15:20:00.002+08:00

Manta Ray Sea Scouts Sports day

What an eventful day! First, we(my 2 poor groups!) waited 45 mins and 2 full buses before we managed to get on Bus 913 which brought us to the stadium. Then halfway through the bus journey, our fears became reality. It rained! Luckily, this downpour lasted for only awhile. We were held back but not too much. Thus, we were able to carry on with our telematch, 100m and 4x100m relay.

It was quite funny, really, seeing Sakthi overtake Lit Han and some of the cubs can really run!

2009-05-15T20:24:00.002+08:00

Thanks to Kayci and 6 Endurance, I had a wonderful party today - complete with table cloths, tidbits, drinks, sparkling juice, cakes and balloons! I must say that 6 Endurance has set a high standard for a well-organized party!

"Mrs Ariel, you must open this to share with the class!" One of my boys shoved a nicely wrapped box at me.

I ripped off the wrappers, opened the box and saw cute little cupcakes! To my utter amazement, 5 of my boys actually baked those little chocolatey bites....and to my utter woes, they had spend a good 6 hours of their precious revision time yesterday conjuring it up in Surapunt's house! The little cakes required very little persuasion to be eaten and in a blink of the eye, the whole box was devoured by my class!

I was, needless to say, touched beyond words.

Thank you, Surapunt, Michael, Sanchi, Andrew and Canyon.

Enjoyed the chocolate cupcakes and jeez, this is one birthday I will never forget!

2009-04-12T14:35:00.002+08:00

Paintings in my mind

One of my students, Surapunt - a very innovative individual who started song dedication in his blog, asked me to dedicate a song. I dedicated Tommy Page's .

I told him his friends' are going to laugh at him because, I mean, who has ever heard of Tommy Page? Truth be told, songs have always played an important part in my life experiences. Certain songs invoke pained memories but many more bring forth a smile, a grin,happy thoughts of a camp or a wonderful road trip.

Songs that stays with me are songs can shows me captured still images in my mind - flashes of certain milestones in my life.

Now, whenever I hear , I will always remember a very green blog and a bunch of fun students. Nice painting.

2009-04-03T17:20:00.002+08:00

The campfire was totally awesome! Well done Sea Scout, especially Ice, Simon & Saks.

This year's campfire was a little special, in the sense that we were celebrating Earth hour too. The cheering and rallying before the campfire was great. Saks, you were really nice, you made sure that poor group without a cheer had a cheer. I thank thee.

The campfire started exactly at 8.30pm, because we did not have skits but have cheers plus the fact that the sea scouts were prompt in executing every task, the program ended early. Real early, in fact 25 minutes before 9.30pm where we could have the lights back on.

So what did we do? Improvise! I struck up a chord, the whole sea scouts came in as one and we just went on and on and on. But guys, it was good. It has been a long while since I enjoyed a campfire this much.

I love campfires, in case you haven't noticed, and there will always be a few campfires that would ligger in my mind. One in Trang, one that broke my heart, one that warms me up and this one, I will always remember. The one that made me feel that its all worthwhile!

I believe in appreciating others, well, because you never know, I might just disappear or die or something and I really wouldn't want to go without having said my thanks.

So, my dear fellow Sea Scouts leaders, Manta Ray would not be where we are without you. Your support, understanding and most importantly comradeship means the world to me. Each of you have your unique strength that somehow compliments each other just nicely, never overdone,always just in time. Kudos to you.

Scouting forever.

2009-04-03T16:58:00.002+08:00

I tasked myself to find some saga seeds for the Science Activity card and during a games session in the STC, I chanced upon a whole big branch of it! I thought that I should just take a few and be contented with it but you know, human nature.....greed crept in and oh well....I decided that I do want all the little red seeds on that branch!

I spent a minute plucking and then realised that no, that cannot be the way because I was being stung by a no less than 20 mosquitoes! Those mozzies were driving me nuts!

As can be seen from the pictures above, my ever ready Sea Scouts were there to "rescue" me.....(of course the promise of ice cream was the actual lure). In the end, I think Yao Wei won the contest with 78 saga seeds?

Talking about stress relieve. I believed I wasn't the only one who felt that the camp was a break from the crazy norm. Somehow the camp "normalized" me and even though I was really tired after the camp, I think it was all worth it! :)

I love this life, mozzies and all....

2009-01-18T13:05:00.003+08:00

The Volvo Ocean Race - 160109

Total movenpick count:

Top devourer: Simon (5 tubs)
2nd inline: Mr Rajoo (4 tubs)
The rest of us: at least 2 tubs each!

Update me and I will update the count!

A modest count of the total tubs of movenpick ice-cream eaten by us:
27 cub scouts, 7 sea scouts, 4 leaders.....estimated about 83 tubs. Thank you movenpick!

By the time Mdm Lim and I brought the P6s there, we were only left with 2 hours to soak in the sun and the sea! The group who went in the morning seemed to have had a great time, on simulator rides, the air balloon and the numerous booths that were closed by the time we get to walk around! I wonder if I would get a chance to be on a chase in one of those sailboats!

2009-01-18T12:50:00.003+08:00

Seletar island (030109)

I felt my under-used muscles pull with every stroke of the paddle, I have no doubt of how I would feel two days later then.

2 weeks later, after the harsh reminders via stiff shoulders and backache. I would say that it was a fun trip, a worthwhile one. Urchin crab, are you looking at the fried chicken?? Yummy! The boys are pestering me about the annual Ubin trip that did not take place last year.

2008-12-27T22:00:00.003+08:00

The BBQ on the 26th Dec

(blame Simon for the lack of photos! Gave him the camera to show off his skills and he came back with naught!)

Best Swimmer + best antics under water: Simon (Kudos! kudos!)
Best treasure hunter: Jeremy (cannot believe he got most of my Nippon coins!)
Best cook: Eugene -dogfish. Your cheese cake is NUMBER 1!
Best Blokus player: Ice and Catfish(never put these 2 together to play against you. You are guranteed to lose spectacularly if you do!) kai Yin is also gd!
Best card player: Qing kai

Had a lot of fun in the pool, the BBQ and the games session. Hope you had as great a time as me! Loved my present (thank u Catfish!), I practically shrieked when the lights went off on the pooh bear cup! Cool!

Hope you guys and gals like my present too, from henceforth, we should be bringing our own spork and plates to camps and outings. A little part goes a long way towards a greener environment with lesser waste. :)

2008-12-27T21:40:00.004+08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2009

Presenting the Care Bears and erhmmm their associate, the Care Duck.

p.s. spot the similarity :0

2008-12-19T10:43:00.001+08:00

The kayaking that took place on the 14/12/08

As usual, when we mixed sea water with wet bodies and young minds, the result is always hilarious and highly entertaining. We enjoyed a good 2 hours of rowing, saw Seletar island close up (looking forward to landing on the island on the 3rd Jan!), tried to form a 3-tier human pyramid. Well, I finally settled at 2-tier after many failed tries. Let's try this again next time!

May we succeed.

2008-12-19T10:39:00.001+08:00

3-tier pyramid? Erhm, we tried.....

2008-12-19T10:34:00.002+08:00

Kayaking on the 14/12/08

Jeremy crossing - watch out for the sea!

Raft Up, raft up!

The shaft, the blades and the strokes

Daniel and Eugene

We were on the look out for this!

2008-12-16T11:56:00.001+08:00

Final post on Japan!

I must say that Japan brings forth many, many fond memories, from the sceneries(every turn of your head is a post card scene!), food(hotdogs, the miso soup, the pearly rice...the bentos) to the drinks (banzais to hot Yuzu juice on a cold wintry day!), to the 13 cubs ( the daredevils, the snowmen, fluffy, pickies and the funnies) and 3 sea scouts (Ice, Clown and Saks), of course not forgetting Marcia and Wanling, my 2 efficient, supportive and wonderful leaders!

Even till now, I am still suffering from post-Japan syndrome. Hope there will be a time when I will visit Nippon again in such good companies!

Kudos to Manta Ray- Japan Camporee participants. Thank you for sharing this experience with me!

2008-12-16T11:52:00.000+08:00

The 2 days of interactions with the Japanese Scouts

2008-12-16T11:48:00.000+08:00

Bentos in Nippon

2008-12-16T11:40:00.002+08:00

Group Photos

Mickey Mouse land

In a garden

Universal studios

Outside the aquarium

2008-12-16T11:39:00.000+08:00

One of my fav pics, taken by Simon.....

2008-12-09T20:27:00.003+08:00

The story of Goldilocks and the 3 bears in Nippon

One fine day, Goldilocks decided to visit her Grandma in Nippon. She was mesmerized by the beautiful sights as she skipped along her way.

Of course, she knew that she had forgotten to bring her compass, so she was extra careful to leave bread crumps along the way. This way, she would be able to find her way back home.

Little does she know that she has an entourage of little birds which are trailing behind her.

Suddenly, she chanced upon a wooden house. She opened the door and entered........

First, she saw Papa bear in his big, hard chair.
Second, she saw Mama bear in "her" big, "soft" chair.

Finally, she saw "baby bear" in his small little chair.

Bears, being very social creatures, welcomed her into their abode and treated her to whey and curds.

2008-12-09T11:29:00.007+08:00

Picturesque photographs are no myths on this trip

2008-12-09T11:29:00.005+08:00

As we walked to the left, as we walked to the right......

Manta Ray leaders and the Sea Scouts

Ocean's Group

Yat Xun, Daniel, Ocean, Shao Yang, Lit Han and Ice.

Mdm Lim's Group

Chong Ren, Daryll, Mdm Lim, Joel, Simon and Syafiq

Marcia Mdm's Group

Sakthi, Ethel, Yong Chun, Haziq. Marcia Mdm, Emilio and Lim Rong

Our Troop of 19 strong Mantas

2008-12-09T11:13:00.001+08:00

Could not resist putting up this photo :)

2008-12-09T10:28:00.005+08:00

Manta Ray Sea Scouts - dive into the deep

4th Cub Scouts Camporee to Japan 2008

What a trip!

A summation sentence of how I felt after 12 days in Nippon.

We had a really enjoyable time interacting with the Japanese Cub Scouts. One major takeaway from us, I believe, is the immense sense of pride that the Japanese hold themselves, their country, their products, their behaviour and yes, even the things that we deem as rubbish. They are totally polite, open-minded, lively, courteous, friendly and they recycle everything! No one has any qualms about opening a finished carton of milk nor has anyone has cause of concern as they empty a plastic bag of rubbish into the correct bin~ plastics wrappers in one, paper wrappers in another, unfinished food in the next etc....

It was a trip for unit bonding as well as plenty of opportunities for CD ie, character development. We see Mickey Mouse Land, went for a wild ride with spiderman. Some of us got stuck with E.T, some got carried away on the Hollywood dream and the majority of us brought back tons of souvenirs. (ahem!)

2008-09-10T00:14:00.003+08:00

Dragon Boat Experiential Course

mm........this is what I call living!

2008-08-13T22:30:00.004+08:00

The training camp

I hereby named our newly created dish "Burnt to the core"

Ingredients:
Apples
Chicken

Method:
Wash the chicken
Wrap them up in layers of aluminum foil
Don't forget to stuff apples inside with the pieces of chicken
Put the whole package on top of the fire and leave it to fate :)

Result:
A "finger-licious" roast chicken with real apple sauce ozzing out accompanying every bite!
(Note: apples at this stage are to be eaten at your own risk!)

2008-06-03T16:29:00.002+08:00

Shifting Dynamics

Have been served the final eviction notice. There is no more denying it. I have to shift.

Thus, on the 3rd of June 2008, with the help of my Scouts, I went about the big project of shifting.

Countless trips from the 2nd level to the first level, amidst coax, threats and finally, a bribe of pizza hut, we finished shifting all my things.

Farewell to my neighbours cum close buddies, bearers of shoulders and warm, understanding hugs.....Cynthia, Cheng and Kayci...of course, also to those who are around me, Doreen, Mrs Shan etc....Thank you for the relentless support, kind words and friendly greetings.

It's really hard to say goodbye, I guess it kinda makes it easier that there are not many people around when I shifted my things. I wouldn't be able to bear it otherwise.

As I removed the last sticker tab from the cupboard, I heaved a final sign, turned and walked away from my comfort zone for the past few years.

I set about trying to clear the mountains of things (never knew i had so much stuff!), I found my mind in a whirlpool. I gave up the futile attempt of clearing and decided to give my confused state of mind a letout.

Well, I still have to clear my things, my colleagues on the first level will want back their tables soon so I better pack up my feelings and set off to work!

2008-05-30T19:38:00.007+08:00

Memories from Taiwan

This is one of the most unique birthday present that I have gotten this year. It is a hand puppet of a Chinese warrior. Thanks to Yan Zheng!

They actually wanted to celebrate it during the campfire but phew! thankfully they didn't. I do not fancy myself cat walking down the alley!

You wouldn't believe it but I made this! it is actually a hand held old fashioned fan. Took a close up so that you can read the words. That is, if you understand it.....took me sometime plus a few people before a Taiwanese teacher told me what it means.

I chose the design at random and hmm......ok, kinda fit into what i believe.

This is my hand print!

I made the paper from pulp, the process is quite interesting. Thanks to Mao Guai who helped me with the hand print as well as finish this masterpiece! Appreciate the extra hand.....

Another art piece, used leaves to do printing on a T-shirt.

Chose a "s" size T-shirt to do. Everybody was trying to hint to me that i would never be able to fit into it. But well, I have never intended for it to fit! This is a souvenir.....not a T-shirt that may be bleached after a few wash!

These few items are some of favorite things I bought from Taiwan. The Totoro plastic carrier is really cute! Hope no one will laugh at me when I carry it out!

Found the perfect place to shop for cute stationaries.Guess where - at the Zoo! Couldn't believe I actually bought 26 of them!

Found the sheep on Qing Jing ranch. The sheep was beckoning to me to bring it home, could not help myself....heehee

My favorite food is not the Big chicken cutlet nor the ultra nice sausages....it's this lemon puff! I ate 2 of them in one go! Because there are no preservatives in it, the shop owner actually told us not to buy to bring back to Singapore. The puffs will not keep fresh that long. So nice of him!

This trip to Taiwan brought back bountiful of happy moments. The students are relatively well-behaved and because there are more teachers this year, I found that I was able to breathe a little easier. I also loved the scenery there, just my idea of a leisure life - mountains, streams, trees and flowers. I find myself opening my arms wide so that I may fill more of myself with the fresh air.

:)

U may wish to look at the pictures in the other blog, www.growgreenproject@blogspot.com

2008-05-12T10:07:00.001+08:00

Exam (Definitely) Blue

Well, today's the first paper, friday's the next one. My skin color has betrayed me....I am turning blue.....

2008-05-09T14:46:00.001+08:00

Exams (quite) blue

Hmm.....next monday's the first paper. Keeping my fingers crossed.

2008-05-05T00:16:00.002+08:00

Exam (not quite) Blues

My exams are just round the corner. Told myself umpteen times that I have to start revising, and of course, easier than done, I have once again procrastinated a whole weekend!

I had it all mapped out when I planned the termly program, making adjustments and including the exam breaks thinking about the wonderful timing. This break should definitely serve as an exam break for me too! Well, little did I know just how upsetting it would get. To cut a long story short, the weekend's burnt - much to do without my preparation for the exams.

Hmm....I am actually wondering how long will it take before I panic??

2008-05-05T00:02:00.002+08:00

Bukit Timah Hike
190408

Here we are, here we are, here we are again....
We come from Manta Ray, jolly gd unit,
jolly, jolly, jolly, jolly, jolly gd unit!

This would be considered our unit's second outing of the year. The cubs are obedient and really, you should have seen the healthy sandwiches and fruits they are eating! Hopefully Simon managed to capture the images....

Only one person brought titbits and of course, the indignant cubs would not allow such an injustice. So, of course, short of a riot, the Scouts confiscated the packet of offending chips!

We managed to tie in the hike with the naturalist badge and with another lab session in school, we are proud to say that 90% of the cubs cleared the badge work! Hooray!

2008-04-28T21:09:00.003+08:00

28/04/08

My favourite cartoon....by Hayao Miyazaki - 宮崎駿.

Everytime I watch this cartoon, I will never fail to be amazed by the imagination of the creator. Ever since young, I have always been dreamy. (hard to imagine?!) Oh yes, at times when I find myself drowning and overwhelmed with realistic life, I will snoop around for windows of opportunities to disappear into my Neverland. Much like now.......I am actually supposed to be finishing my 1500 words of assignment and yeap, here I am blogging.....life is hard, my friends.....guess what is the title of my assignment? It's a study into the increasing cases of Suicide and its preventive measures.....hmm....don't they play cartoons on ch5 anymore??

Oh well.......enough, off I go to finish that impossible task! Sometimes, I do understand your (students) predicament.

2008-04-27T22:16:00.003+08:00

Taman Negara Reece Trip
(22/02-24/02/08)
Yeap, setting off on an adventure on BP's day....:)

This is the entrance to the bat cave. Hmm....bats...the last mammal who took to the skies.

Well, nobody warned me about the cave, they all said, come on, it will be fun.....this whole episode rewrote my idea of cave-exploration!

In the midst of scuffling on all fours, squeezing through tight corners, the guide in front said softly -we were forewarned, bats have this tendency to fly into your faces(you can't blame them, they are blind, remember!) should they detect anything higher than a decibel, "be careful here, try not to touch the puddle on the floor. It's bat's urine..." Oh well, I thought, I better be....and before I could finish my thought, I lost my footing and YES! you guessed it, I fell right into the middle of the flowing stream of ****! YUCKS!! I could hear urgent voices of "who....who...." and then Angeline's, " it's Ariel lah!" and then giggles...adding salt to the already wounded pride.

Seriously though, there were a few occasions inside the cave where I had to control a few silent screams. It was pretty scary when after I pushed myself out of a crevice to find my face inches from a little twittering ball of fur of a bat!

After we emerged once more into the warm embrace of the sun, everybody agreed that I shall be the guiding factor - anyone more horizontally challenged than me shall not be permitted to enter the cave!

The lunch that we had on a floating restaurant. Well, Mdm. Lim, sorry to break that conjured romantic hideaway of yours, this is nothing fantastic...really, just a few planks of floating wood on the edge of the water!

Ah, finally, a bat free, anti-claustrophobic, high ceiling cave!

I am definitely looking forward to the actual trip in June!

2008-02-12T08:16:00.001+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

2007-12-25T11:45:00.000+08:00

Merry X'mas

2007-12-16T22:15:00.000+08:00

The camel, the dogs and the cat in Turkey

Turkey is a secular Muslim country - meaning the people are quite free to choose what they want to do. From what the Turkish guide told us, other than eating the oink oink, Turkish people(not all, but they are free to choose) to drink, to smoke, to have dogs as pets! So for dog lovers like us, the more the merrier!

2007-12-14T00:48:00.001+08:00

***Turkey***

1 Dec 2007 - 15 Dec 2007

Gosh! Today we are setting off for Singapore after spending what...15 days in Turkey (inclusive of the 12hr flight both ways).

Both CK and I agree that Turkey's a wonderful place, we spend the first 8 days sightseeing with a tour group and extended 4 days in Istanbul. Some highlights include SNOW in Bursa, the WATER at Pammukale, the WIND in Cappadocia and of course the MONEY(we spend) in Istanbul.

(couldn't post in Turkey due to the photos...hee...hee..)

2007-12-14T00:09:00.000+08:00

A blessing in Disguise

We had a near brush with a serious hot air balloon mishap while we were at Cappadocia. Most of our tour mates in our group signed up for an optional hot air balloon tour. We should have taken heed when the flight was cancelled the first day due to strong wind.

There was a big group of us and we were divided amongst seven balloons. We looked on while the hot air balloon pilots tested and tested the wind directions for 2 whole hours. All of us rejoiced when the first few balloons finally took off. You can imagine our dismay and envy when two of the balloons were not allowed to take off - yes, yours truly's on the last balloon.

It was much later that we realised what happened. Apparently one of the balloon had a rough landing - they only managed to land after 3 tries, hard bumps and knocks all around, 1 of the girls almost flew out of the balloon, everyone was injured, sprained ankles, concussions, bruises, 1 of them needed stitches on the face and a lady on our bus broke 3 ribs. We were delayed for a whole day, stayed one more night in Cappodocia, missed out on a few destinations, we were much somber, but really, I was really thankful that all of us were in one piece.

Truly

2007-09-27T12:01:00.000+08:00

Happy Children's Day

2007-09-25T00:39:00.000+08:00

Talk about a dog's life

Hmm....they love cold places, actually they made a dash for it whenever they hear the fridge door opening - signaling tidbits or they will also made a bee line for whichever rooms that has got the air-con switched on. Oh yeah, this is Rae Rae by the way....she used to sleep on top of my comforter(this can get pretty uncomfortable in the middle of the night when it gets really cold). That is, till we bought her this comfy-squishy bed.

This white fur-ball's Bubbles and her best pal, the caterpillar. She wouldn't leave her best pal alone for long, her favourite activities would be biting catty's pinky ears, gorging out the bits of cotton and of course, playing fling catty games!

:) Bubbles taking an afternoon nap with catty.....

2007-05-24T16:45:00.000+08:00

Sprained ankle

Never thought I would need a pair of these.......

Well, what happened can be easily explained, it was just an accident. Played captain's ball with the P6 champs, tried to catch a ball, collided with a student who wanted the ball more badly, too bad I landed on the wrong foot. The swelling was almost instantaneous. Couldn't stand, couldn't walk. Thanks to Serina and Yiting who got me a hot drink. Knew I was going into shock but I only knew how badly I had fallen when I started throwing up.

Doreen and Marcia brought me to take an X-ray 'cos I still couldn't stand after 3 hours. This was also the first time I sat in a wheel chair that Chee Kiong borrowed from the MRT to wheel me to & fro the X-ray clinic and the doctor. Thankfully no bones broken! Decided to go to a chinese physician to speed up the recovery process.

Nothing can be compared to the excruciating pain I had to endure there. I almost fainted -twice. You can imagine how bad the pain was. According to Chee Kiong, I broke into cold sweat, slumped on the chair and was not able to respond to his questions. In the end, the doctor applied some medication, shook his head and told me to come back again on saturday....

Told myself yesterday that I am not ever going back but thinking it through today...weighing the pros and cons, unless I am willing to let my scouts go on their Goodwill tour to Malacca without me, unless I am willing to stay behind and worry myself sick over them - what might go wrong, what would happen...unless I am really to forgo all the shopping and sightseeing and meeting Scouts friends in Malacca.....Well, I guess I had to visit the physician again....

Remind me not to play on an empty stomach, remind me to do warm up and remind me never to play with ppl taller than me....hahaha

Ps: Now, I am learning to be patient with myself. How fast can I walk with a swelled foot that looks more like it belonged to an elephant?

2007-04-14T17:14:00.000+08:00

had to put this in.....this is the viking thingy I talked about. :) Enjoyed this portion the most.

After this dragonboat outing, the next BIG thing is our 2nd Malacca Goodwill tour. I am really looking forward to it because I will meet up with some of my Malacca friends and also be able to meet Scouts from other countries. Had some difficulties choosing the cub scouts to go and its really sad that we had to make some decisions and forgo some names. It is just not possible to bring so many! 25 cubs, 4 teachers and maybe 8 Scouts just from Mantaray and adding in the other participants from other schools, wow! We had to increase another bus it seems!

2007-04-14T16:56:00.000+08:00

Dragonboat 07/07/07

Oars up!
Hello!
Here we are, here we are, here we are again!

Splendid view of Kallang River!
Attack!

This is the 2nd year we reward the boys for their hard work during jobweek by bringing them for a row!It was a fine day, the boys enjoyed themselves and we have become a few shades darker as usual!

We played viking on the boat, we sang songs, we dipped our feet in the water and of course, we splashed each other crazy!My boat lost to Marcia Mdm's boat even though the cooperation was stronger here...(sob, sob) Nevertheless, I was sure everyone had a great time!

2007-03-06T17:03:00.000+08:00

Job Week Launch at the Istana 2007

6 March 2007

I brought my Senior Sixer, Wen Xuan and a girl who is in Scouting for 3 months, Jia Ying to the Istana for the job week launch.

Quite an experience for us, I must say. Hopefully the two young cubs realise how priviledged they are to have been able to sweep the president's corridor. :)
I had never much opportunities to skive, (not in my nature, I guess, haha) but, today, I took the odd chance and had lunch with my two young charges. Its' great fun eating, laughing and swapping stories.

Job week's going to start and, may we, Manta Ray break last year's record in earnings!

2006-12-19T18:50:00.000+08:00

Continuation of the dripping wet drip ....

Photo 1

Guess what is in the picture?
(Ashwin, u know I know...)

Photo 2

A stick insect that almost ended its life in the fire as a twig!

Photo 3

The knotting game where EVERYBODY cheated!

Photo 4
I've got peace like a river....we've got rain never ending...

2006-12-19T18:10:00.000+08:00

Pulau Ubin 18-19/12/06
A dripping wet trip

Willy skip's culinary skills - Roast chicken. The result of almost 2 -3 hours of roasting!

Thanks toUrchin's daughter, Jac, we had the luxury of a pedal tricycle registered as 2056 where we could store our food and even bags of the less sauve riders.

A lone bird upon the barriers at Nordin beach.

Urchin and myself were soaked through as torrents of collected water decanted upon us while we were roasting the chicken.

The incessant rain pestered us relentlessly for the whole duration that we were at Ubin. It rained before we board the bumber boat. It rained as we pitched up out kitchen shed and tents. It didn't just rain but poured as we cooked our dinner and roast our chicken! Poor Urchin, myself and even Gazer were decanted with collected water on the kitchen shed when it became too heavy to hold.

The rain was truly merciless and it refused to give us a break, not even in our sleep! The rain continued to punctuate our dreams as it hit onto the fly sheets of our tentages. After a fretful night, the sky continued to be ominous, dark clouds prevaded the sky and we knew our cause was lost. Any attempt to salvage our plans for the Scouts were futile as the sky broke and precipitated rain came descending down. None of the boys dared harp on the subject of exploring the island on bicycle as we broke camp, jumped on our bicycle and fled the island. I guess they were really worried that we might actually take pity on them and carry out our promise of exploring the island - in that RAIN!

Even after being at home for almost 3 hours, I swear that I could still feel rain hitting on my face like pointed needles, a continuation of the cycling journey from Nordin beach to the jetty.

I guess it really is a novel thing to be having such an adventure in that kind of setting. I myself, for one, was having the time of my life as I cycled through torrents of rain, trying to steer my course and keeping the rain out of my eyes!

I remembered vividly one experience of playing in the rain. It was in my secondary school life - of course its been donkey years! I was in Red Cross then, one of our seniors decided to have, what he termed - the "Dream team". Not a soccer team, mind you, its a footdrill contingent. We were having one of our practices after meeting and it poured. We were so hype about our perfect drill movements that we decided to carry on anyway. Of course we were soaked to the skin, but the experience of doing drills with a group of highly motivated people who believed in what we were doing was gratifying! I guess my motivation for my Scouts sprouted from experiences like this!

Likewise, I hope, some of you Scouts, would also draw strength from the experience that we all shared today in time to come!

Ocean

2006-12-15T20:59:00.000+08:00

Kayaking at East Coast - 15/12/2006

Haha...due to some unforseen circumstances (involving pratas, vomitting and LS), no reccee was done for this trip. Results: A lengthy lengthy hike down East Coast searching for the kayaking place.

Had loads of fun basking in the sun again. The waves were certainly choppy. Organisation and planning for the Kayaking intro to the Scout standard was done relatively well. Lock, Gd job there! (dun fly, u couldn't have done it without the cooperation of the 1st class ppl and ahem, of course, my advice :)
As usual, after that certain hrs in the sun, I have turned a few shades redder today and will be many shades darker after the Ubin trip next week.....
Arms on deck! Looking forward to it! (whatever you may say, Ahmad! haha)

2006-11-29T21:08:00.000+08:00

Yishun District Camp 2006, 18-20 Nov

Annual District camp :)

Photo 1 : Fun shot
Photo 2 : Spot the mistake
Photo 3: The continuation of the saga of "You killed my teacher"
Photo 4: My Sea Scouts

Hmm.... a few enthu fellows has opted to join my unit, will begin training offically this friday. Really looking forward to it!

2006-11-13T18:36:00.000+08:00

Manta Ray Sea Scouts Unit camp 2006

Year 2006 Unit camp is by far the most relaxed Scouts camp I have carried out since I took over the Unit 6 years ago. Urchin Crab agreed too!

For the record, I want to thank my Sea Scouts for FINALLY rising up- to a certain extent, to the occassion! (But I must still add that there are definately plenty of room for improvements!) Hee Hee.....

Had enjoyed the BBQ the first night, hmm..... nice to have properly browned chicken wings... thank you Mrs Goh for giving me the 2 hot dogs!

The cub scouts arrived the next day and luck ran out just as they were all set to go for beach games. The sky did not hold and it poured cats and dogs..... We did not bear to look at the crest fallen fellows, thus we waited till the rain subsided a fraction and zoom! they were in the water! We had fun playing in the sea!

I was rather apprehensive about the beach games, I weighed the pros and cons and decided to go for it! Did not regret my decision, everyone "ga-bra" and there was mayhem but still, I guess ultimately, everyone enjoyed themselves! Ha ha

A little reflection

This camp marked another milestone for my unit as we welcomed yet another 5 cub scouts who crossed over to become sea scouts. By right, I should be elated but somehow, I guess I am having mixed feelings.

Glad that my unit is growing but at the back of my mind, the uneasiness and uncertainty of how many I can keep for long term loomed ominously overhead.

I remembered telling my boys that once you are a Scout, you will always be a Scout. We recite the Scout Law and promise everytime we have meeting and we strive to abide by Sir Baden Powell's words. Not because his words are gold but simply because we find truth and wisdom in them. I turned back and saw Ali, Harith and a few others who left the unit that no matter what path they choose to go in life, I hope that they will not forget what they have learnt ever.

Looking forward, I see many eager faces, youthful,enthusisatic and ever-willing to take on the challenges that comes. To my Manta Ray Sea Scouts, lets charge on and bring the unit up another notch. :)

Ocean

2006-10-06T17:28:00.000+08:00

Gunung Nuang Expedition

Scouts is an addiction and I am addicted to it! Good or bad? Hmm....

Came back from Nunung Nuang with a worsen knee, a tired body, an empty pocket,a whole bag of dirty smelly laundry and of course .....memories that would last me a lifetime. :)

Day 1
Left school and walked across the causeway with 44 other climbers wannabes. Spent the night jostling in my seat on the coach.

Day 2
Ate prata in KL at 4.30am. Proceeded to the foot of Nunung Nuang (where Wen Xuan did something he had never done b4, thanks to Lock who accompanied him :) and began our ascend at day break after warmup.
After 10 minutes into the climb, I was wondering how far more to go! What with my bag and my first aid kit with the 3 litres of water, the nerves all over my body began working overtime, sending first, warning signals that progressed into distress signals which blossomed into alarm signals and of course, more than once, the breakdown signal. As you can very well imagined, a challenging climb is truly an understatement! We reached base camp. I was really proud of Qingkai and Kai Ying, despite their petite size, they endured and pushed themselves to their limits! Ahmad, Lock and many of my Sea Scouts were great too! They carried their own bags, tents, and sometimes even the tired cubs' bags and things. Appreciate!

Set up tents, filtered water, cooked lunch and after a rest, began our ascend. We ascended much faster this time without the burdens of our bags. The rolling thunder ad darkening skies ended our attempt to peak the mountain. The leaders had a short conference and we decided to turn back. I was the last person to step into base camp followed by pouring rain that lasted half the night! Willy, Azhar and I cooked canned curry chicken under "man-made" shelter (a piece of groung sheet) literally held up by man. haha

This is one camp I did not have to get the boys to sleep. Nobody was very willing to step out of their tents!

Day 3
Descended the mountain after a hearty breakfast. Pitied the boys who got a scolding from Angeline and Rajoo....but then again, without the two of them, we might never have left the camp at all! Everyone was dragging our feet and just could not start our engine!
We checked into a hotel and left for shopping in Chinatown! The boys certainly have more money than me! :( Had supper with Jac, Oyster, Lock, Angie and Wanling. Had a great time !

Day 4
Went sightseeing... cannot remember where we went actually... only remembered the silly poses we made!haha
Sang our way home, on two buses, connected by walkie talkie... Max, the talkies are good! Thank you for lending us!:)

2006-10-01T08:20:00.000+08:00

Best Wishes

P6s - Best Wishes to all of you, may you pass your exams with flying colours!

I always feel queasy in the stomach whenever I am about to step into the examination rm/hall. Even after these many years of experience in taking exams, the situation did not turn for the better.

I sat for my SIM exams a few months back in May(on my birthday - how lucky can that be???) As usual, I had butterflies fluttering in my tummy and as we stepped into the hall, I felt my legs turning into lead as I worked laboriously to bring myself to my designated table. I sat down, the exams start and I could literally hear my heart pounding against my ribcage as I flipped open the examination booklet. The words swam before my eyes, sending panic signals into my brain. I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down! I told myself repeatedly to stay cool, stay calm and don't panic.... this phrase had worked many times for me and luckily it worked this time too. After that, it's a matter of planning out my time and selecting essay questions I feel most "knowledgeable" about.

I hear the fury scripple of pens against paper everywhere as everyone set themselves to race against time to answer the essay in the best possible way. I am no exception. I looked through the questions, cancelled out questions that I know nuts about(We were given a series of questions to write on) , wrote down notes for questions that I might attempt. Evaluate them, made my choice and I too, joined in the hundreds of students to do my exam. Ever conscious of time, I checked the time after every page I wrote.

Exams are gruelling but the exhileration you feel after that is not measurable! The relief and the carefree engulfed me as well as all the other students as we streamed out of the hall. Of course, some students were beaming from ear to ear while others would be frowning.

Sometimes, more often that not, I would be frowning, worried and unsure of my answers. This time round, I had a small smile on my face as I stepped out of the hall.

2006-09-01T13:42:00.000+08:00

Pre-KL Trip camp briefings

My scouts love to do funny things.....one of their favorite tasks is to break eggs on the floor. Don't ask me, I have no idea why. It started off with

Eugene and Wen Xuan in one camp sometime ago....this time round, Danial is the culprit. We also see "Butterhead" Sakthi (Wen Xuan's request!) Apparently someone "mistook" his head for the mesh tin....hmm.....

We are leaving today for KL, may the weather be good, no rain, no hot sun, may the children be healthy, no stomache, no homesick....:)

2006-08-22T18:08:00.000+08:00

Training

Some of you may know that our scouts are going for a hiking expedition in Malaysia. We will try to conquere Gunung Nuang. Yeap.... it may not even be a Mt. but we are taking our training seriously....:) Amidst the stairs climbing, it is not unusal to hear cries of "child slavery" and "child killer"...haha

I have, of course, learnt not to take them seriously because the minute we are on ground zero, they will start playing! Boys will be boys, even a scrap piece of paper can be a plaything that will entertain them for the 5 minute breather (for me, that is).

I am actually quite apprehensive about the climb...teachers are "worriers". I worry about the leeches, I worry about the weight of their bags, I worry about accidents, I worry about them falling off the waterfall in the middle of the night, I worry about them falling sick, I worry about the weather.....aiyoh! Deep breaths, deep breaths.....

2006-08-10T20:25:00.000+08:00

Bubbles update

Hi! Latest photo of Bubbles. Don't complain! Do you know how difficult it is to get this ball of fur to sit still long enough to take this pic?

2006-08-10T20:20:00.000+08:00

School NDP 06
It was a success! Received some feedback from teachers that this year's ceremony is more serious and had that "wow" factor.... maybe it had to do with the commander who was shouting his lungs out.. haha, Lock, well-done!

2006-07-30T13:45:00.000+08:00

DragonBoat 29-07-06
Beware! Pirates of Kallang manned by some 40 sea scouts were at war with each other yesterday.They stealthily crept up upon each other and unloaded volleys of water at their opponents, drenching their enemies to the skin with the greyish water of Kallang!

Screams (of delight) and shouts (of victory) can heard miles away!

"Fierce" warriors.

"Spy" photo of opponent's boat
Vikings of Kallang!

2006-07-17T20:21:00.000+08:00

2 Star personal kayaking proficiency

Hooray! Amidst muscle aches and blue-blacks, we finally completed our 2 star kayaking....
I think I enjoyed the course as a whole but my favourite is still the lunchtime break "camera shoot" with Burrfish as the camera man. "You killed my father (sometimes my teacher)" is really a hit! I really laughed myself silly over that!

2006-07-17T19:44:00.000+08:00

School Opening

Phew! Finally, the school's offically opened! First and foremost, thank you to all my scouts for coming to all the rehersals and for putting up such a wonderful show.
You have been complimented a few times over by the guests..... I heard. :)
Wen Xuan, kudos to you! You really pulled it off, I certainly liked the way you presented us Scouts! No fumbles too!

Lock n Ahmad n the other Sea Scouts, the Adiji and "Mr Roger rabbit" is superb too! My outdoor cooking team, Oyster, Thana, Leon and of course Lock, well done! Swordfish, Urchin crab compliments u for ur initiatives....:)

Not forgetting my leaders, thank you Mdm Lim and Urchin Crab for coming to school early to complete the gadgets with me. Urchin crab, you are the ultimate "Shi-fu", without you, none of the gadgets would have stood! Maybe except the 2 flagpoles by Jacques and Thana. Shrimp Mdm, thank you for coming to my rescue!Appreciate!

Kinda proud of myself, I managed to complete the gateway... quite a feat for a knot idiot like me. I hereby promise that I will do my best in knotting in future!

2006-07-01T16:58:00.000+08:00

School reopened and it has been one long roller coaster ride....

I always have this habit of allowing my mind to wander off in broad daylight, especially when i am stressed up so.... it used to be the beach that I would mentally visit. Eversince I took up diving, it has been the oceans that I would whisk myself to.

After the break in Sipadan, wonderful sland, I thought I am recharged and ready to take on the new term. Little did I expect to catch myself mentally in the middle of the oceans frolicking with the sharks...... it's...well NICE! So, the next time u catch me staring, pls do understand that I am taking a mental holiday :)

2006-06-21T19:49:00.000+08:00

White tip reef shark - Pulau Sipadan

Royal Hypselodoris - Nudibranch

Moray eel

Cheng, for you, from us. :)
The 3 of us were thoroughly pampered by Sipadan! For want of a better word, Awe-struck will do! The diversity of marine life is just ...just....just....AWESOME!

2006-06-09T21:44:00.000+08:00

This is Leviathan.... cooking our breakfast the 2nd day - scrambled egg. :)
We also have a sleeping oyster perched precariously on a pole.
Service Scouts for the Sixers' training camp.
From left: Praven, Ocean, Leviathan, swordfish, burrfish and hmm... oyster.

The "heroes" (Gazer, swordfish n burrfish) who "scarificed" themselves in the tumultuous downpour to zip up all the tents.

Sixers' Training camp took place from 5-7/6/06, as usual, it was filled with loads of entertainment - the cub scouts were the entertainment!

2006-05-28T13:11:00.000+08:00

Introducing Bubbles!
The newest addition in my family.
Our 3 month-old Bichon Frise, Bubbles. Her favourite activities include irrirating Rae Rae and Hardy, biting Rae Rae's stuff and running around the house trying to break her own record. Our biggest challenge is to toilet-train her.....
My mum has been really really kind to us, she actually volunteered to dog-sit my two doggies while we work! Mum is now training Bubbles to go to the newspapers whenever she needs to do her business.Love you loads, mum!

2006-05-25T18:59:00.000+08:00

This are some of my Diligent well-wishers!
Huimin, you seriously have a sweet tongue... I was very very moved by what you wrote......
Shinyi, the photo I promised you. :)

2006-05-25T18:43:00.000+08:00

Birthday 2006

I had a fantastic birthday this year!
My class, 5 trustworthy, actually organized a birthday bash for me! I was sooooo..... touched! They even had a cake - with my name somemore!

5 Trustworthy, thank you for making my birthday so memorable! Thank you for decorating the class, thank you for the streamers, thank you for the presents, thank you, thank you, thank you.....

I also must thank my 5 diligent pupils and some ex-pupils for remembering my birthday. You actually remembered! I feel so loved this birthday, thank you!

2006-04-16T17:21:00.000+08:00

Recce trip to Bukit Timah

Yesterday I went on a recce trip to Bukit Timah with Cynthia, Kayci, Max, his wife and instructor Tim for the P4 camp. Had a great workout and suffered heavy consequences today - stiff legs!

The trip was quite funny actually! We were or rather I was panting quite heavily when we reached the 1st hut along the green trail. Tim told us that that will be a resting place for the kids. I told them that we should all simulate the rest by taking a rest there! The simulation did not stop there, mind you, Max simulated a fall and Tim even suggested that we should simulate applying first aid!

At the end of the tiring trail, we finally came to a stream where Max happily jumped in to wash his mud caked saddles, Kayci jumped in after him. The water looks refreshing and it was running quite fast downstream actually. Cynthia was tempted and Kayci invited her in, telling her that the water was not that fast. Action is faster than words and Viola! One of Kayci's saddles floated past her and began a fast descend! Luckily Kayci's quite agile and managed to fish the saddle out of the stream! The whole incident was really funny and had us bending over with laughter!

On the whole, it was a great way to spend a Saturady morning!

2006-04-11T18:55:00.000+08:00

Heart strings

Many things pull at my heart strings.

You will not believe me if I told you that I cried and cried and cried over the show King Kong! Actually, I was quite amazed at myself! I seemed to be crying out the whole term 1 and term 2's frustrations, heartache and bottled up feelings (there is something that I just cannot bring myself to write about- at least not yet, the wound's still raw). Needless to say, I felt loads better the next day - even though my puffy eyes told a different story.

I miss my class. Don't misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with my current class. I just miss 4 diligent. This bunch of kids are somehow different. My bunch of girls are just so NICE! I loved Tete-a-tete, the confidence they placed in me, the secrets they share with me, even simple chit chats seems such fun. My Harry Potter fan club, who would understand my house elves' jokes otherwise! Not to mention the scouts in the class. Sometimes, I just feel that class time is an extension of scouting. I sincerely wish that the change in form teacher would not affect them too much. I know you ppl are reading my blog, thus, a change in teacher is NOT equal to bad results! You and I know that you are capable of reaching for the stars! Grab them! Remember that I am always here for you!

2006-04-10T09:49:00.000+08:00

Kayaking 1 star personal proficiency badge

In the beginning of the year, I brought a bunch of my Sea Scouts for our 1 star kayaking skills course.

Wow! It was really no joke carrying the heavy kayak up and down Changi beach. Poor Harith lost his specs in the water but luckily another instructor spotted it during low tide, retrieved it and returned it to him.

It was equally no joke for Ali and I to be paired with Amos - our regular "sotong". During the 2nd day of the course, we were taught the rescue drill for capsized kayak. When it was my turn to be "rescued", I capsized, followed the drill procedure and proceeded to the front of my kayak, awaiting for my rescuers. We have Ali yelling and yelling desperately for Amos, who was leisurely doinf "S" courses towards us, oblivious to the fact that that I was in the water and he was supposed to be the rescuer! He reached me after admiring the dead things floating in the water, waved at me who was was simmering in the cold water till the fact(an angry Ali yelling) hit him in the face that he had to "rescue" me out of the water!

As usual, the bunch of us peeled like snakes for about 2 weeks after spending 2 days in the hot sun. We developed sun-phobia for a while and that day, some of them started asking for the next course date. Hmm......I think I will agree - as long as I am not in the same group as Amos! Haha...

2005-11-10T10:30:00.000+08:00

Testimony for 4 Diligent

Xiang Hui, Nengyi, Peihua and Wen Ting

You are one of the most intelligent girls that I have ever taught! I do not need to teach you anything twice. You would have remembered what I said in class two years ago! Do not stress yourself too much, you are already very good!

Peihua, I love to read what you write, be it compositions or journals. You have a way of capturing people's attention with your words! Carry on writing!

Jia min and Andrea,

My two little quiet workers, I know I can always count on you for help! You have assisted in getting things done for me, in keeping the class tidy and clean, the best part is, you have never expected any reawrds! Thank you and well done!

Astrid and Umairah,

I loved talking dogs and cats with you because you truly love them! I always feel that people who loves animals are compassionate people so CHEERS to the 3 of us! :)

Dean, Chye n Yun Long

You are a great artist! Don't ever give up drawing, you have talents! I always look forward to receiving your art work because I can see your effort in them!

Felicia n Shin yi

You are a replica of a stern teacher, seriously, you are! You are very capable, you can control and you can get things done. A lot comes with gaining respect and you can only them get when you give them. Learn to relax and smile, my dear girls!

Glenn, Zhen Hung, Zi Wei nYuewen

My brood of Maths Wizards! I have to let you know that I am really proud of you! Hats off to quick brains!

Ziwei, you are also great in sports! Keep it up!
Glenn, gald that you are a Scout, seriously, I enjoyed having you in my class and I know I can continue to enjoy having you in my Scouts!

Huimin, Farhanny, Shrestha, Preethee, Santhia, Darren n Benjamin

The sensitive souls in my class. I know you people "feel" more in class. You are more caring, you are more aware of others and most important of all, you have empathy! Loads of it! Well done!

Nicholas, Kaibing n Wi ke

I know the three of you will try your best to excel! Don't give up! Believe in yourself that you can do it and you will be! There are people who do well in studies and there are people who do well in studies when they work hard.... you are those!

Nigel, Eugene n Aashiq

You are one of a kind! Very cute ones! I enjoy the jokes, the fun and the things the few of you share with me. My Harry Potter fan club.....and where are my house elves? Thought I did not give you clothes?

Hannan, Jazmond, Jing Yu, Ilyas and Brandon,

Hannan, you are a good goal keeper. I have seen you do your very best and succeed in blocking goals. Believe in yourself, Hannan and you can do anything!

Jazmond, Brandon and Jing Yu, you are not just good in sports, you are good team players! I always enjoy seeing the 3 of you in action, the cooperation and team spirit is superb!

Jing Yu, my sensitive girl, I am very proud of your progress in terms of personal development in year 2005. You have matured into a really understanding and caring person. Proud of you!

Ilyas, the thought of you brings a smile on my face. You can be so determined....in getting things done your way. Neverthesless, I truly enjoy your company. You have the gift of the gap. I can never be bored talking to you!

Hani, Wen Xuan, Sharlynn, Qistina and Simon,

The 5 of you are like my hands in class. I really thank my lucky stars that the few of you are with me for the past 2 years and I am counting my blessings that 2 of you are still with me!

WenXuan, be BRAVE! Imagine you have a lion's heart and allow its bravery to course through your blood! Believe in yourself like I believed in you! Put your heart to whatever you seek and you can succeed, trust me!

Simon, your initiatives has saved the day, not on one occassion, but a few! Thank you dear boy!

Sharlynn, Hani and Qistina,
:) The 3 of you are leaders, not quite the same but you will definately succeed in life! Sharlynn, you always clear in whatever you are doing. Hani, you are wonderful and I know I can trust you with my life! Qistina, my pretty girl, put some faith in yourself and you will find yourself soaring!

4 Diligent,

Recall why I use purple pen.... so that you will always remember me.... like I will always remember you....

2005-11-10T10:18:00.000+08:00

4 Diligent

What can I say?

To every smelly, sticky, messy, untidy, loud, noisy, rowdy, rude, cheeky, bossy and especially to those who get scoldings once every other day from me ..... I love you all! :)

Rewind to 1st day of term 1 week 1 day 1, 2004

I stepped gingerly into class. "Oh! Mrs Ariel! It's Mrs Ariel! Hello!" shouts a few kids. I turned, recognised a few faces, broke into a smile and there goes my don't-mess-around- with- me look. Needless to say, all pretences were gone with the wind and before the end of the day, I was already sitting on the table, laughing at your jokes.

It wasn't plain sailing teaching your class, of course not! I had my fair share of shouting matches, overturned tables, bloody gums, torn books, teary confessions and of course, calls to parents. By the end of the first semester, the whole class is familiar with my moods and tone of voice. You knew instinctly where my bottom line was and learnt to tread with care when you sense a strom brewing!

Speaking of which, I must raise my hat to a couple of you who never fails to remind me how many PE lessons I owe you.

Back to Term 4 Week 9

It's finally the end of the year, after the exams and most importantly, after getting your report book. The management may feel that 2 years is enough and I will not be teaching you again next year. If that is the case, then, farewell with the very best of my wishes to each and every one of you! Thank you for giving me the chance to spent 2 fruitful years learning with you. :)

My next blog will contain some heartfelt words that I can never write in a report book.

2005-09-18T02:10:00.000+08:00

in spired by Ariel....he he he he put up some PE jokes on the teachers' blog....if u r trying to kill time....http://msteo.blogspot.com
cheers

2005-09-13T08:40:00.000+08:00

KC and I were doing a combined P1 PE class last year during a movement education lesson. The two classes had quite a few lessons in forward roll and stuff like that and they are quite agile. So we decided to add in running through a hoo-la-hoop as part of the obstacle course.

K was demonstrating the part on running through the hoop and this little voice piped up from the 80 crowd, " Teacher, must put fire on the hoo-la-hoop or not? " ......

Talk about assimilation!

2005-09-13T08:35:00.000+08:00

While going through the lists of good phrases to use for compositions, my class was making faces and feigning dead at phrases such as, "as pale as a ghost", "without a moment's hesitation". I was explaining "panic-stricken" when my class's loud-hailer gave an exclamation and declared, "What? PANIC CHICKEN! Like that also can use meh, Mrs Ariel?"

Of course, my class turned into an uproar in an instant! Imitations of squawking chickens and frantic flapping of hands gave another meaning to the word "Bird-Flu".

2005-09-13T08:30:00.000+08:00

A touching story
I was teaching a P1 class PE 2 years ago when this little boy lost control and pee in his pants. He held on to his soggy shorts and was looking terrified. His classmates were of course "Ee-ing away at him". I walked up to him, bent down and told him softly to follow me to the office. I was hoping that my gesture will calm him down. He looked up at me gratefully and ....... guessed what ? He let go of his hands holding the wet shorts and clasped them tightly around my arm!

Moral of the story? Stand an arm's length away from the boy and you can still talk calmly to him.

2005-09-13T08:00:00.000+08:00

Last saturday while rushing to finish my assignment, I recieved an encouragement SMS from C². I lamented my fate to her telling her I only got 2 hours left before midnite - dateline. Her reply landed me in a "cry-laugh situation"....it read: Don't worry, I am the last minute one, you are the last hour one, sure can finish!

C², I did not let you down, I handed in my assignment at 2355...Thank you for believing in me.