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. =)

Getting the Better of Your Emotions

Here are 3 suggestion as to how we can help manage our emotions (esp. anger & depression) better. If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment or tag.


Idea 1: Find a healthy community of friends.

No man is an island, especially during our teenage years. We always look for companionship and friendship.

Somehow, we just like to form cliques. There's always this certain group of friends that you particularly like to hang out with. And these are people we can share our feelings & emotions with.

The key here is that this community of friends that we're closed to, should be healthy. If this group always gets into trouble in school and outside of school, and sarcastic remarks are the norm, I really don't think it's a healthy group.

Look for a group where you can find
1) Kind & encouraging words are always there.

2) Trouble-free from the school authorities and parents



Idea 2: Learn to forgive.

Most often than not, when we are angry, we're angry at people. In every relationship between friends, family or even married couples, there's bound to be conflicts. When these conflicts are not handled properly, there will be a lot of anger.

Well, you can be passive and keep the anger within yourself. Everyday, you can wake up hating the person, and very soon, you will miss out on the joy of life. Haven't you seen people who are always angry? They're angry at everyone they meet. How can they be happy?

Or I suggest you can make the first move when you're angry with someone. Take the step to forgive and be reconciled with the person. Nevermind if the other person is still angry. At least, you have done your part. Trust me, you will feel so much lighter.



Idea 3: Find a mentor.

A mentor is someone who can guide you in your life.

Often, young people lacked wisdom and maturity in handling their emotions. Seriously, think about it, an angry 15 years-old sharing his anger or depression issues with another 15 years-old, what advice can the other person give? After all, they are of similar maturity and age.

Well, the truth is, most of the time, older people are really wiser, because they have more experiences in life.

I really hope that young people will find good mentors whom they can trust and share their problems with.

Who's Controlling Who? Your Emotions or You?

When you are angry, what is it that you wish to do do?


1. Stuff yourself with as much food as possible.


2. Go watch a comedy in the cinema to make yourself happier.


3. Be alone and don't talk to anyone.


4. Go exercise and sweat it out.


5. Find some friends and chill out with them.


6. Go read a book.


7. Go and sleep, pretend that nothing has happened.


8. Blog or write down it your diary about what happened.


9. Play computer/PS/Xbox games (maybe online ones like Mapel, Dota or WoW).


10. Take a gun and go shoot all those people that made you angry.


I hope none of you chose the 10th option. Just last week, the world witnessed the worst campus shooting in the United States. Cho Seung-hui, a student in Virginia Tech, killed 32 people, before killing himself.

I have no idea what exactly Cho Seng-hui was going through. But I believe that when he committed the act, he was extremely angry and depressed. He wasn't in control of his emotions. His emotions were in control of him.


Sometimes, when I look at the students in my school, I realised that some of them seems to be always angry. They would always show angry faces. Vulgarities come out freely from their mouth. They speak rudely to peers and teachers.


I don't think this only happens in Springfield. Generally, many of our young people in Singapore nowadays have problems controlling their anger.


Anger seems to be controlling them.


It's perfectly normal for anyone to feel angry at times. However, the difference is how a person manage his anger. If, in his anger, he did something impulsive and hurt others or even himself, then it's bad. Or alternatively, if he keeps trying to contain the anger within himself, and doesn't share with anyone, it's like a built-up volcano. Once this person erupts in anger, the consequences can be very serious.


However, I believe that there are ways to help young people control their anger and emotions. I have 3 suggestsions that I would like to share :

1) Find a healthy community of friends.

2) Learn to forgive.

3) Find a mentor.


(To be continued...)

The Truth about Failure

Today, I came across this saying about "Failure". I would like to share this with everyone:


Failure doesn't mean you are a failure...
...it does mean you haven't succeeded yet.


Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing...
...it does mean you have learned something.


Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool...
...it does mean you had a lot of faith.


Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced...
...it does mean you were willing to try.


Failure doesn't mean you don't have it...
...it does mean you have to do something in a different way.


Failure doesn't mean you are inferior...
...it does mean you are not perfect.


Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life...
...it does mean you've a reason to start afresh.


Failure doesn't mean you should give up...
...it does mean you should try harder.


Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it...
...it does mean it will take a little longer.


Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you...
...it does mean God has a better idea!



Author: Robert Schuller

Each Day is a Gift, that's why We Call it the Present

Just a few days ago, I heard that one of the students in Springfield had been admitted to the hospital. She was allegic to some medication that was given to her. I do not know the exact details, except for the fact that she's only Sec 1, 12+ years old. And she's fighting for her life in the hospital.

I had been going to the hospital almost everyday, for more than one and a half months. My grandpa stayed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at SGH for more than a month. Just like the Sec 1 girl, he was also fighting for his life.

Thank God that a miracle happened and he survive (despite him being 82 years old)! He's much better now, and is no longer in critical condition. I pray that the Sec 1 girl will also experience the same kind of miracle as my grandpa.

I really feel that life is precious. Every single second of it. We would never know when our life would suddenly end. But I guess, the key question that we all should answer would be: "If I am to suddenly leave this world, what are the things I have left behind?"

"Is it a lot of unresolved issues with my loved ones? And have I caused them so much pain and hurt?"

No. Everyday, I want to be able to be a blessing to the people around me.

Whatever accomplishments that I may have gotten, (like my degree, like my car, etc) they are of no value when I leave this world. People will forget them very quickly. But if I am able to touch lives and transform them while I'm alive, I believe that these are things that will last.

Treasure each day of your life. Don't waste it. Always be a blessing to others.

A Frustrated Student

Today, during school hours, I walked past one of my students. He was sitting right outside General Office, and not attending any class. I walked right up to him, and asked him what he was doing there.

" 'Cher, last Friday, they said that I was rude to the teachers. Hence, I have been asked to write a report of what happened. But 'Cher, I really wasn't rude. I was just asking the teacher something. "

"Is there anything else you did?"

"Well, I did exclaim something out. A vulgarity. But I was just exclaiming it. I didn't mean to use it to scold any of the teachers."

Honestly, if you ask me, perhaps what the student said was true. He didn't intend to use the vulgarity to scold any of the teachers. However, over the years, I realised that sometimes, it is not who you think you are that matters most. It is actually what others think of you.

In the case of my student, he genuinely believed that he had done nothing wrong. But from the teachers' perspective, obviously it seems that he had scolded them. Hence, it is nothing wrong that the teachers want to discipline him.

I think that this applies to every stage of our lives. Human relationships are very complicated and not easy to handle. We have to be conscious of what others think of us. If we're not, we might offend or hurt the people around us unknowingly.

However, there is a balance to this. We need to have a set of basic values and principles that we want to uphold in our lives, and we cannot compromise them even if our peers disagree with us.

To summarize, we need to be conscious of what others think of ourselves, as well as be ready to stand up for the basic values and principles in our lives.

My Plaques / Medals in Springfield Sec

Yesterday morning, we had our annual school run at Bedok Reservoir. All the students and staff of Springfield were gathered there early in the morning for the 4.5km route.

Some of the teachers (including me) were asked to run as well.

Here's my number tag...

The competitive student runners went first. Following right behind them are the teachers. After about 30 minutes of panting, running, struggling and persevering, I finally finished the race.

By then, I was really exhausted. I haven't really been exercising for the past 1 month or so.

To my surprise, among the staff, I actually came in 2nd in position. During the prize presentation, the school principal presented a plaque to me.

Of course, I'm happy to receive a plaque. My fellow practicum teacher joked with me, "Hey, I don't want to be in the same school with you next time. You always win all the awards!"

He was just joking. After all, for this Bedok Reservoir Run, I was the youngest male teacher that ran. Well, I have an advantage in terms of age as compared to the rest of the male teachers. Furthermore, the PE teachers did not take part as well.

During the school's Sports Day a month ago, I also won something. I got second in a class relay with 3F , as well second for the staff relay.

My Medals...

However, as I reflected, while it is good that I win these plaques and medals in Springfield, I felt that these are very temporal stuff. Very soon, people will forget about these things.

I'm nearing the end of my 10-weeks practicum soon. I have about 4 more weeks to go. I need to be frank and ask myself this question:

What have I left behind in Springfield?

Honestly, right now, at this present stage, I seemed to have left nothing worthwhile behind.

What I desire to leave behind are students whose lives are transformed. Even if it's just one student, it would be good enough for me. I think that is really more important and lasting than any plaques or medals.

I must somehow leave behind a legacy in Springfield.

What is LOVE?

What exactly is LOVE?

Just last night, I was talking to my Ah Po (grandma). She told me something that shocked me. She said that she and my Ah Gong (grandpa) had been married for 63 years!

Isn't that amazing? I think that's really love.

Love is when I see my Ah Po going hospital everyday to visit my Ah Gong even though she's already 83 years old.

Love is when I see them committed to one another in marriage for 63 years.

I think this is the kind of love that I would want to go for. Committed love.

Love is really about commitment. Sadly, in this present day context, the value of the word "LOVE" has been cheapened. People just say "I love you" without thinking about its true meaning. There are so many divorces nowadays that out of every 10 marriages, 3 end up in divorce. And we're talking about Singapore.

I pray that I would be like my grandparents when I get married. They really understand the word "LOVE" and "COMMITMENT".

My beloved Ah Gong & Ah Po

Thank God It's Friday!!!

Good Friday used to be just an ordinary holiday for me. I looked forward to it because there's no school, and I can go out with my friends.

But in recent years, since I became a Christian in 2003, Good Friday has taken on a really different meaning for me personally. It's a day whereby Christians all over the world remember our Lord Jesus going to the cross 2000 years ago.

And this year's Good Friday, I did something different. Together with another lady leader in my church, Kelly, we brought our youths to West Coast Park to have half a day of fun and to also share the true meaning of Good Friday.

Altogether, there were about 25 youths, and everyone really had fun! All these wouldn't have been possible if not for the planning committee, Venelyn, Yingxin, Kenneth Pang, Tzer Wern, Joanne, Valerie and even little Kimberly. I really thank God for these wonderful youths who rose up and came up with this great event!! You guys were really great!!

Of course, besides having Treasure Hunt and Water-bombing, we had Praise & Worship. It was a time whereby we all settle down in our hearts and sang songs to our Lord Jesus.

Good Friday. It's truly a day whereby we celebrate the greatest miracle of love. Our Lord Jesus, being the son of God, is willing to die for us in the most brutal manner (which was the cross). He had the power to resist, but He chose not to.

The only reason is that He loves us. He loves you and I. That's the greatest miracle of love.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16

If you truly want to experience a miracle of love, you don't have to wait another day. You can do it now. Just invite Jesus into your heart. He loves you.

Blood Donors = Life Givers

My grandpa is still inside ICU. His condition is steadily improving, thank God for it.

Over the course of his condition, he had undergone several blood transfusions. In all, he had been given more than 10 bags of red blood cells. Do u know that a normal person has only approximately 10 bags of blood in his body? That means that my grandpa had really lost a great deal of blood.

And I really want to thank all the blood donors who gave their blood to the blood bank. Because of them, my grandpa was able to survive.


I decided that I should do my part too. Together with my girlfriend, Dawn, we went to the blood bank at Health Sciences Authority (next to SGH) and donated blood. We both hoped that our donated blood can be used to give life to others, in times of need.

See? It's not so painful. Look at our faces...

Just as my grandpa was blessed, I would also want to bless others with my blood. I decided to be a regular blood donor.

Blood donation's really easy. The pain is very minimal. You just need to go to the blood bank or any blood donation drive. Of course, there's certain requirements that u need to have. Information on this can be found here.

There can be Miracles...

For the past few days, it has been really intensive for me and my family. We have been in and out of the hospital repeatedly.


My grandfather is still in Intensive Care Unit in SGH, even as we speak. But I really thank God that his condition has improved significantly. He's no longer bleeding internally. And his red blood count is at a healthy level.


This is indeed a miracle!! Yes! There can be miracles! The doctors were like all not very optimistic about my grandfather's condition. He's old and his heart is weak.


For me personally, I discovered a lot about myself throughout this time. I realised that I couldn't really handle my emotions well in times of grief. However, the turning point when one of the youths in my cell group, Kenneth, smsed me these three verses from the Bible (Psalm 112: 6- 8):

6 Surely he will never be shaken;

a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;

his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;

in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

It was like an affirmation from God. Earlier in the morning, I was reading through the same psalm. I felt that verse 7 was something that was meant for me. I even memorized it. From that point on, I was able to handle my emotions so much better. I really thank God for it.


As for my grandfather's condition, honestly, there's really nothing much I can do. I can only pray. His life is in God's hands and He loves him more than I do. I surrender all.

I Love You

I Love You.


3 simple words.


3 simple words that convey so much feelings.


To me, these 3 simple words are reserved for people really closed to my heart. I don't say it easily to anyone.


But today, I realised that I have been too stingy with these 3 simple words.


My very own grandfather is right now in intensive care unit at SGH. His condition is not so good at the moment.


And today, at the hospital, I realised I have never told my grandfather "I love you" before. At the thought of this, I almost couldn't control my tears.


My grandfather really meant something in my life. I could remember the times that he brought me out to Chinatown to play when I was only a small boy.


Tomorrow, when I go and visit him, the first thing I'm going to say is "I love you, Ah Gong."


In life, we often don't cherish the people that we have (especially our own family members). It's only when they leave us or about to leave us, then we become worried and sad.


Cherish your family, especially your grandparents. They may not know how to say they love you. But I'm sure you can.

We're One Family!!

I have been super-busy during the Chinese New Year period.

No, I wasn't so busy going house-visiting my relatives.

I was busy because I was part of the organising committee of the Chinese New Year Celebration for SM3 students. I'm in charge of logistics.

(For your info, SM3 students are students who came from China to study at Singapore universities.)

This was the first I was involved in such big-scale planning. There were around 200 people in all! Check out the photo below:

I really learnt a lot out of organizing this event. I learned to coordinate many different things. I had to settle food, chairs, tables, location, oranges, yu sheng, etc. Everyone kept asking for me. I wished I could have split into two or three.

I also think that's the biggest mistake. I must learn to give tasks and responsibilities to others. I tried to carry too many roles. In fact, I actually have helpers.

Overall, I still had a lot of fun and learnt lots of things. I think that every SM3 student had a good time celebrating Chinese New Year. The theme was "We're one family!". This is their first CNY in Singapore. It sure was a memorable one! :)

Happy & Blessed Chinese New Year!!!

Happy & Blessed Chinese New Year!!!

Do you know what is it that I enjoy most for Chinese New Year?

Check out the photos below!! =)

Actually, no lah.

What I enjoy most during Chinese New Year is that I get to intentionally spend extended time with my family.

It starts from the reunion dinner to all the visitations to different relatives' houses.

I really thank God for my family.

(Haha.. but that doesn't mean I don't like the new year goodies. My favourite is the PINEAPPLE TARTS by my mum & sister. They're really really good!! Yummy!!!)

The Gathering... (of Teachers)

The photo above was taken when my Maths class in NIE went for a lunch gather at Pizza Hut at Clementi. It is really amazing that everyone of us is going to start our practicum teaching in less than 2 weeks time.

I must say that I have really enjoyed all my Maths classes in NIE for the past 7 months or so. Each of my classmate had been such a blessing to me that I think I got no space here to write them all. I will only give a few special mentions here...

I want to give thanks for our beloved class rep, Qiu Lin! She's really responsible and made learning for us so much easier. She's going to be a fantastic teacher, no doubt about it.

I want to give thanks for Junjie, Paul and Tze Kun. They are such wonderful team-mates in my Maths class. They have really given me so much encouragement that I think Maths class will be not so interesting if not them.

And of course, I really want to thank my Maths tutor, Dr. Ng too. He's really a very good tutor will go to all lengths to help us trainee teachers teach better in the future.

How time flies.. I'm going to Springfield Secondary soon. My NIE days are numbered. I realized that unknowingly, over time, my Maths class had kind of built a certain bond together. I was really overjoyed to be able to have lunch outside of NIE with them.

I know that the path ahead in teaching is not going to be easy. There will be hurts. There will be disappointments. There will be fear.

But I believe that there will also be true joy. The joy of seeing the lives of our students transformed. As what Mother Teresa said "Do good anyway." I'm really encouraged when I read about this quote from her, about people. I hope that you will be blessed as you read.



People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may just never be enough;
Give the world the best you have anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it's all between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

A Tale to Tell... (Part 3)

She was crying badly over the phone. She asked me how come I have been ignoring her (which I admitedly did because I wanted to forget her). I tried giving excuses like I was really busy. Kinda lame I think. But what can I say?


Then she confided in me that she was really upset because Benny was kind of pressuring her to break up with her boyfriend. I was shocked. I was really angry at Benny. I was also at a loss.


I did what they always do in movies & drama serials. The next day, I confronted Benny straight away (I wasn't so extreme like the guy on the right). I told him off for making Alicia upset. Benny didn't say anything. He just kept quiet and received my scoldings. I think he felt a bit guilty. Nonetheless, I think he left Alicia alone after that incident.


A few weeks later, for reasons I don't know, Alicia broke up with her boyfriend. For a moment, I thought I had a chance. I continued to show her concern, but I still didn't dare to tell her about my feelings.


But things were not to be. There's this guy, Danny (not real name) also from the same CCA. He's in the same committee as Alicia but they weren't that close, I think. Around that same period in time, something bad happened in Danny's family. He was really upset.


And somehow, in that period in time because he was upset, and Alicia was also upset, they started to talk to one another a lot more. Eventually, they became attached to one another. I was out of the picture once more. That really broke me. Alicia and I drifted apart, and soon, we were really just ordinary friends.


I just couldn't accept it. How can this happen?? I thought we could be together. I was totally crushed. Devastated. To say that I'm upset, that's an gross understatement. I think I couldn't sleep well for a long long time. It took me a really long time before I can function normally again.




Reflections

As I look back, I realised that all along, I have been imagining things on my part - 自作多情 Even though Alicia was attached, I imagined that one day we would be together. And I didn't dare to tell her my feelings because I was afraid that her reply would completely crush my hopes. I wanted to have at least a bit of hope.


That's kind of silly for me. I wasted so much emotions on this incident. I really could have spent more time doing other more meaningful things.


The bottomline is that at that time (during JC), I wasn't ready to handle BGR. My belief is that most of us are not mature enough at that age. Among my friends, only a few of those who got attached in JC made it to marriage.

A Tale to Tell... (Part 2)

After overcoming the initial shock, I began to ask myself what I want to do next. Should I try to come between Alicia and her boyfriend? Or should I just give up contacting her? At that age and maturity, I honestly don't know what to do.


Then on my birthday, Alicia actually gave me a soft toy!! I think I almost went crazy. First time a girl give me a personal birthday present. And it's from the girl I liked!


I thought through after some time. Well, we're still good friends. She probably doesn't know I liked her. Ok, I decided that I want to be good friends with her ONLY. I will not try to make her break up with the boyfriend.


And it worked! We were really good friends. Almost every night, I would call her to chat with her, BEFORE her boyfriend call her. Though I try to tell myself, we can only be good friends, deep in my heart, I was hoping that a miracle would happen. Yah, all along, I didn't tell her that I liked her.


But no miracle happened for me. As time passed, I started to realized that there's another guy from my CCA, Benny (not real name of course), who became quite close to Alicia. All of a sudden, it's like they will be together quite often in school. I didn't have the courage to tell Alicia I liked her. Nor do I dared to ask her what's happening between Benny and her.


I felt left out. Depressed. My moods will consistently be down.


Finally, I made a resolution. I decided to give up. I stopped contacting Alicia completely. I began to focus on other things in school.


Then one night, the most unexpected thing happened. Alicia called me. She was crying...



(To be continued...)

A Tale to Tell... (Part 1)

Recently, my good friend posted on his blog about his BGR experience.

Well, I think everybody has a story of his or her own. My story? It's quite a sad one when I was in JC... It's almost like a drama serial.


Long long time ago...


When I was still quite young, I was studying in this JC.

The photo on the left is a photo of my class and the photo on the right is a photo of my CCA friends.















(I look kinda funny right? haha...)


When I first joined my CCA, I didn't know many people inside. As I came from a boys' school, I don't really have many female friends and I wasn't really comfortable talking to girls on a personal basis. (Class interaction was okay though..)


But one fine day, when I was still pretty new in the CCA, I was relaxing in my CCA room. A girl came into the room. A sweet-looking girl. A girl that caught my attention.


She sat down in the room, and somehow we started to chat. I got to know her name, Alicia (not her real name)!! Awesome, I thought at that time. Something magical happened next.


A senior came into the room. He asked Alicia if she wanted to study with him at the library. I could tell that Alicia wasn't very interested nor comfortable. But somehow she didn't know how to say no. She looked at me, and asked me to join them.


In my heart, I nearly flipped. But on the outside, I calmly said yes. Hence, the three of us went to the library to study together.


And because of this, I got to know Alicia pretty well. We exchanged phone numbers and would chat quite frequently on the phone.


"Am I in love?" I thought to myself. If I'm not, how come I'm always excited when I talk to her or see her.


But we all know, not everything happens in the way that we want. A few weeks later, I overheard a conversation between another of my 2 friends in the same CCA.


They were saying that Alicia has a boyfriend already.


My world came crashing down.



(To be continued...)

Beauty to Rescue

Most of us have read fairy tales, like Rapunzel, Cinderella, Snow White & the Seven Dwarves, and many others.

The themes of these tales are always the same: Damsels in distress, and behold! The knight (or prince) in shining armour comes along and saves the day.

Even modern movies and drama serials, we can often see the same theme as well.

Every time I come across such themes, I can always imagine myself to be the main male character, either being a cop, a prince, or some dragon-slayer or witch-killer.

Isn't that something that we guys all deeply desire? That we can have a beauty to rescue?

Perhaps some of us have not found the beauties to rescue. Perhaps some of us are too young to think about it.

Still, what we can do now is to prepare ourselves. And be ready to resuce the beauty when she comes along.

Be proactive, and not passive guys.