Are You Balanced??

When I was in primary school, I was already quite hooked on computer games. Even at P3, I was able to hack into games using some kind of software editor. I was really way above my peers in terms of IT knowledge.

However, I wasn't very well developed physically. I was overweight and was in the then TAF Club (Trim And Fit). I wore thick glasses, and really looked like a nerd. Here's a photo of myself during primary school days... Haha..


Thankfully, when I went to secondary school, I joined NPCC. I was quite involved in it. And I was able to have a much more balanced lifestyle. Besides gaming, I also went out with my friends and played basketball with them. Haha.. And I slimmed down and became more fit. =)

Well, I don't believe that gaming is no good. It's just that we need to develope a balanced lifestyle. Besides the virtual & online world, there's still a whole real & exciting world out there to explore.

Just yesterday, I brought 11 youths to learn tennis at NJC. This is one of the pilot projects of Project CRUSH (which means Cyberspace Risks where U Seek Help) and I'm one of their volunteers. The aims of this project is to help young people have balanced lifestyles. There are more and more youths getting addicted to the virtual world - MSN, Maple Story, DOTA , friendster, blogging, etc.

After tennis, I brought the youths down to Gameslab to play computer games together. This will help them form a healthy gaming community and also healthy lifestyles.

These are the photos of our first tennis session. We will do it once every week during the June holidays.

"I will consider marrying if ..."

These are the words that I heard last night when I was on my way home on a bus. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was just sitting down there on the bus doing nothing. And they were talking quite loudly.

Guy A: Wahh.. We need to work very hard in S'pore leh, if not how to survive?? How to have a wife???? What if cannot find good job?

Guy B: Yah loh. But I will consider marrying if maybe the girl is like Alice. She's thrifty and don't any how spend money one...

Guy A: Cannot marry someone like Kirsten!! She spend money like dunno wat. Just now she almost wanted to make us go to a high class restaurant... Cannot afford her lifestyle man..

Guy B: Hey, actually Helen also not bad. She's quite caring. She's seems like the type who will get along with my parents.

Guy A: Come to think about it, Alice like not very caring one leh.. I think she probably will get into all kinds of arguments with your parents loh.

Guy B: Wah.. really hard to find leh. A girl who is caring to me, to my parents, to my family and can save money.. Oh okay. I better get down. That's my stop.

At this point, Guy B alighted the bus, leaving Guy A.

It was quite an interesting exchange. The two guys are about 20 years old or so - older teens. They spoke with a bit more maturity than younger teens. They looked out for girls beyond just looks. They were looking for something called 'Character'.

However, that's not the case with most teenagers. People are now getting attached at a younger and younger age. They want to go steady because they are looking for ...

1) Love.

Many teens just want to have a feeling of being loved. To them, it doesn't matter if the other party has got a bad-tempered or other bad things. So long as they feel loved, it is okay.

It may be due to the lack of family love at home because many parents are busy working. Teens need someone to validate them and make them feel important. If they can't find it from their parents, they will look for someone of the opposite gender outside.


2) Something to show off.

Often, teens want to get attached so that they can show their peers that they have pretty girlfriends or handsome boyfriends. They feel real proud about it. And this becomes some kind of peer pressure. Everyone goes looking for BGR because their friends are doing it. They don't want to lose out or lose face.


I'm not saying that BGR is not good. Afterall, I myself am attached (but only when I was 25 years old). It is just that the timing and motivation to find a bf/gf has to be good.

The more BGR breakups you experienced, the more wounds and scars that will be left behind in your heart. This is especially so for ladies. Be radical. Only go for the one that you think you can marry in the future! =)

My sister's ROM Photo

TLLM = Talk Less Listen More???

Yesterday, we had our last Maths Class in NIE. Our tutor, Dr. Ng went through with us what it means to do TLLM in teaching Mathematics.

TLLM is NOT students Talk Less Listen More.

TLLM is Teach Less Learn More. It is one of the newer education initiatives that MOE is pushing for in schools.

Here are some photos of what we thought TLLM means:




TLLM, to me, basically means something like this:

1. Students are interested in what they are learning.
2. Students take ownership in their learning.
3. Teaching becomes less directive (teachers talk less)

I think in theory TLLM is pretty cool. Teaching less and yet students learn more. Who don't want that? However, the key is that students must be motivated & interested. And it is the role of the teachers to make students love the subjects. Then TLLM can take place.

Anyway, at the end, my class had a farewell pizza party. It is afterall, the last time we would be gathered as a class. 1 year of NIE has passed by so so fast..

I wish all my Maths class' teachers all the best in teaching. And may each of us find joy in any school that we're posted to and make a difference to our students' lives. :)

Happy Birthday to Venelyn, Joanne, Gabriel & Kenneth

Venelyn, Joanne, Gabriel and Kenneth - these are 4 wonderful wonderful youths.

They are really such blessings to Kelly and me. I'm so amazed at how God changed and transformed their lives.

From left: Me, Joanne, Gabriel, Venelyn, Kenneth & Kelly

Venelyn - always helpful and there when you need her. Really really responsible and multi-talented. First girl to get her hands dirty during the BBQ that day.

Joanne - her ability to talk almost non-stop is really amazing. She can cheer you up any time, any where. We really need more people like her around us.

Gabriel - his simple faithfulness is really worth mentioning. When he commits himself to do something, he will go all the way out for it. A man of his word.

Kenneth - the one who's always steady. He's the one who catches my heart the most and tries his best in all that he do. Really great guy.



We celebrated Kenneth, Gabriel, Venelyn and Joanne's birthdays at East Coast Park last Sat. We had a BBQ cum birthday party for them. There were almost 40 people that day. Here are some photos that I took:

The birthday stars

Kelly's girls getting jumpy..

My guys. What's Jarrell doing...

Kelly & her 2 adorable spiritual daughters

My 2 spiritual sons & I

Handsome Joash & Dun Lin

The Kenneth & friends having fun

Adlar working hard at the BBQ..

Dad, I'm sorry...

More than a week ago, I had quite a big argument with my dad. Just like all arguments, harsh and nasty words were exchanged. I said things that I should not have said. At the end, we were both quite angry with one another.

Immediately for the few days after the quarrel, my dad and I didn't really speak much to one another. There was some kind of barrier between the two of us.

I was actually quite convinced that I should make the first move and apologise to my dad. However, every time I had the opportunity to say sorry, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. There's this thing called pride in me that I could not give up, and it's really harder for adults to apologise.

Finally, after a week of struggle, I couldn't take it any more. When my dad and I were alone in the car, I gathered enough courage and told my dad that I was sorry for saying harsh words that day. I could almost felt tears swelling up in my eyes.

Wow.. a few simple words. And that tore down walls and walls of barrier between the two of us. My dad and I were able to relate so much better after that.

Sometimes, to preserve a relationship, we have to be proactive and take the first step to apologise. If not, the relationship might go downhill all the way.

There's no substiute - Jackie Pullinger

Last weekend, my church had the privilege of having Dr. Jackie Pullinger sharing with us her experiences in serving the poor and needy.

Jackie Pullinger - a name that probaly Singaporeans don't really know. But in Hong Kong, she must be pretty famous. Her story? Truly an amzing one.

At the age of 22, a young English woman decided to give up everything she had, and become a missionary in Hong Kong. She felt God's calling for her in that place. And she went, despite having only enough money for a one-way boat ticket.

Yes. One-way ticket. She can't turn back to England even if she wanted to. When she finally reached Hong Kong, she only had HK$100 in her wallet.

She finally came to settle down in this place in Hong Kong. It was a place where both the Mainland China and British governments ignored. It was a place where there were no laws. It was known as the "Walled City".

Kowloon Walled City

Here's a description of what the Walled City was like:
"For years the Kowloon Walled City became a no go area. In the control of Triads and drug dealers, with an estimated population in excess of 30,000. Many residents were illegal immigrants; exempt from extradition, encased within its walls. A lone European venturing into its midst would most probably never be seen again, no Chinese went in without appropriate reason. " - Tofu Magazine (click here to read more)

Jackie Pullinger - a lone European, stayed in the Walled City and served the poor and needy. The poor and needy that she served included - drug addicts, prostitutes, old people, young people, triad members, etc. And because of her, their lives were changed and they believed in Jesus.

During the conference, she shared with us how a traid boss (commanding tens of thousands members) helped her buy back a typewriter and even sent his members to protect her. Eventually, the boss also came to believe in Jesus because of her.


40 years. She had stayed in Hong Kong for the past 40 years. She given her life to serve the poor and needy.

"There's no substitue. If you want to help someone, you have to go do it yourself. Don't ever see someone in need and yet do nothing about it. The lest you can do is to pray for the person." - Jackie Pullinger

She does things without expecting anything in return.
I do things often expecting something in return.

I guess that's the difference between the heart of a saint and mine. I ought to examine myself more and learn to be more like her.

Time for some Action & Fun!!

Yeah!! Exams are going to be over soon!

I think after using so much brain juices, it's time for some physical action. Check out the Sports Carnival.

We have soccer for guys and dance classes for ladies.

If you're interested, let me know quickly coz places are very limited.

Thank You, Springfield Secondary

Today is my last day at Springfield. How fast time flies.. It's like 10 weeks go by so quickly before I realised it. I can almost still remember the first day I step into a classroom in Springfield.

I can only use 1 word to describe my teaching practicum at Springfield.

Awesome

There are 3 reasons why I said it's an awesome experience for me.

1. I have fantastic fellow practicum teachers!!


They are really great. Every single one. Here's a little tribute to every practicum teacher at Spf..

Mr. Marvin Lo: Our boss.. always giving us directions & leading us to greater heights.

Mr. Peh: Our joy-bringer.. always giving us joy & making the day less stressful.

Mr. Adrian Lim: Our favorite sportsman.. always inspiring us with his floorball skills.

Miss. Doreen Lau: Our diligent teacher.. always giving 3G her time on top of everything.

Miss Tee: Our food-provider.. always giving or sharing with us her food.

Miss Woodford: Our busy colleage.. always busy & busy & busy helping students.


2. The teachers at Springfield are really warm & friendly!





















The working environment in the school is really good. Everyone is friendly & helpful. This is especially true for my 2 mentor teachers - Mrs. Suvian Lee & Mrs. Jasmine Tan.

Mrs. Suvian Lee & Mrs Jasmine Tan: I really want to thank the 2 of them for their wonderful guidance & patience. They always showered me with encouraging & kind words, guiding me as I teach. I'm truly grateful to have met them and learned from them.


3. The students at Springfield rox!!

I really want to thank all the students that I have taught at Spf. Because of them, I bring away many fond memories of the school.

Special thanks to 3I:
Haha.. really happy to have taught all of you Physics for the past 10 weeks or so. In a way, we didn't really have the best beginning, but over time, I got to know your class better. I really enjoyed teaching the class. All of you rox! I wish you all the best in all that you do and let's keep in touch. =)


And I want to thank 3I for the lovely book. I was really touched when I read the words that you all penned down. Every page meant something to me. And this is the first gift that students gave me and I sure will treasure it with all my heart.

I will miss Spf 3I 2007.

Here are the photos that all 3I have been waiting for...

Da WaiMun COde : - + - = More -

Recently, I read my mentor's blog and found a very interesting entry about using the Internet.

I realised that there's really a lot of wisdom and humor in his blog entries. Every time I read his blog, I'm really blessed by it. =)

I have put a WidgetBox on my sidebar so that I can constantly be updated by what my mentor is sharing on his blog. It's really a cool tool!


Negative + Negative = More Negative!

Negative + Positive = Less Negative or 0 or More Positive

Positive + Positive = More Positive


(Click here to find out what this code is all about!)

Always be Thankful

I realised that one of the ways to keep a positive outlook in life is to constantly be thankful about things around us. If we can learn to see positive things out of negative situations, we will be so much happier. Hence, I decided to start a list of "Thanksgivings" on the left-hand side of my blog.

Afterall, unpleasant things in life that happened could be blessings in disguise. =)

I want to give thanks for my D-link Internet Router.

Recently, my router's power adaptor has been giving me problems. Every other day, the router cannot work because of its power adaptor. I was quite fed up with it. Finally, I decided to go Sim Lim to get a new one (costs $62).

When I went there, one shop-owner told me that D-link routers have lifetime warranties. I decide not to buy anything at that point because maybe I can get my old router fixed.

A few days later, I went all the way down to the D-link office at International Business Park at Jurong East. The customer service lady said that my power adaptor is faulty, and hence need a new one. But I would have to pay $35 for it.

However, when I checked my wallet, I only had $10 in cash. The lady said that they only accept cash. And the nearest ATM machine is really quite far. I was like "Arghhh..." because I came all the way down and don't have cash to pay for a new power adaptor. I left the place without getting my router fixed.

Yesterday, I went down to the D-link office yet again. This time, I was prepared to pay $35 cash. However, to my pleasant surprise, the customer service person told me to just take a power adaptor from him, for free! Maybe it's an extra adaptor or something. But it doesn't matter, because I got my router problem fixed for free! =)

Hence, it's a blessing to me that I went down to the D-link office twice.

Time to Relax...

After about 7 weeks of Practicum Teaching at Springfield, it was time for some relaxing activity.

My friends and I went to play pool at a shop opposite Parklane. It's called Pool Junction. The atmosphere there was quite good and there weren't too many people.

I know that right now, it is a very stressful period for students because of mid-year exams. However, while it is important to study hard, we also need to learn to strike a balance. Relaxing for a short while can help us focus better on studies.

That's how I go about preparing for my exams when I was a student. =)