Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Boxing Day feast
This is a super-duper belated post because I FINALLY got my comp to upload the photos onto blogger. Anyway, do enjoy! =)
We postponed our Christmas dinner to Boxing Day and had an absolutely "gastronimically satisfying" (Kel, 2006) and a smashing good time!
On the menu, there was seafood pasta, comprising fresh "lala" (shellfish) which squirt water out at us when they were being soaked in salt water, squid, prawns, herbs, garlic and of course, pasta! Here's the picture to make you drool...
Next up was seafood potato salad, with flower crab, of course.
Rosemary beer chicken! Oh my oh my....
Oven-roasted big fat onions! Man... how the sweetness and the smoothness makes you go "Oooh...." with every bite you take!
And of course, CHUNKY MONKEY and my apple crumble to end it all on a sweet note!
Don't forget the 2 bottles of sparkling "wine" and a dessert wine (which I spilt a glass off...)
That was not all! (Well, for food that was all... Heh.)
We played Jenga with pretty wooden blocks, where the objective was to see who could make the tower fall, cos apparently that's the thrill of it! Haha! How warped! And we proceeded on to playing dominoes.... as in arranging them in such a way that they will topple each other in succession. It was really quite fun and I enjoyed it tremendously! Especially when we formed them in a long, long straight line, and I was anxious over whether or not they will all topple nicely with a slight push at the first block. And they did!! I was so thrilled! Hahah! And of course, the fun part was knocking several of Kel's over while he built them! Heh.
Then we went to open presents... all of the presents have been sitting under the Christmas tree collecting dust even before Christmas! (And some of them are empty boxes which we first wrapped to beautify the tree. Heh.) Opening them were quite fun. We just opened everything that got into our hands, not bothering if it's for mummy or for me! (So much so that mummy didn't even know which were hers! Heh.) My favourite present would have to be the Big Children's Bible that I received from Kel. It won hands-down! Heh. I like it cos of the pictures, the stories which are simplified and suitable for a girl with a 5-year-old mentality like me, and of course, the note in it. =) And before I opened his other present, which was a box, I told him that if it wasn't cashew nuts, he could take it back, next please. Hahaha! It turned out to be chocolate-coated almonds and raisins. My favourite also lah... so I keep. Hahahah!
Then when he opened his presents... I gave him a pig-skin belt which he can offer the kway chap lady next time, and a buaya (crocodile) toy! It's very fun! You are supposed to press its teeth one-by-one as you shiver in suspense, or rather, fidget in anticipation or jump in excitement when it's your turn to press! Why? Because you never know which tooth will make the buaya buckle and slam its jaws on your poor poor finger!! Hahaha! We played this with mummy and Auntie Linda and the house was filled with spontatneous squeals and laughter! It was an enjoyable time.
Merry Christmas everybody! *grin*
May the Christmas spirit be spread to all who are willing....
And the love, joy, peace and hope of the baby Jesus remain in our hearts and in our lives... in the year to come, and beyond.
We postponed our Christmas dinner to Boxing Day and had an absolutely "gastronimically satisfying" (Kel, 2006) and a smashing good time!
On the menu, there was seafood pasta, comprising fresh "lala" (shellfish) which squirt water out at us when they were being soaked in salt water, squid, prawns, herbs, garlic and of course, pasta! Here's the picture to make you drool...
Next up was seafood potato salad, with flower crab, of course.
Rosemary beer chicken! Oh my oh my....
Oven-roasted big fat onions! Man... how the sweetness and the smoothness makes you go "Oooh...." with every bite you take!
And of course, CHUNKY MONKEY and my apple crumble to end it all on a sweet note!
Don't forget the 2 bottles of sparkling "wine" and a dessert wine (which I spilt a glass off...)
That was not all! (Well, for food that was all... Heh.)
We played Jenga with pretty wooden blocks, where the objective was to see who could make the tower fall, cos apparently that's the thrill of it! Haha! How warped! And we proceeded on to playing dominoes.... as in arranging them in such a way that they will topple each other in succession. It was really quite fun and I enjoyed it tremendously! Especially when we formed them in a long, long straight line, and I was anxious over whether or not they will all topple nicely with a slight push at the first block. And they did!! I was so thrilled! Hahah! And of course, the fun part was knocking several of Kel's over while he built them! Heh.
Then we went to open presents... all of the presents have been sitting under the Christmas tree collecting dust even before Christmas! (And some of them are empty boxes which we first wrapped to beautify the tree. Heh.) Opening them were quite fun. We just opened everything that got into our hands, not bothering if it's for mummy or for me! (So much so that mummy didn't even know which were hers! Heh.) My favourite present would have to be the Big Children's Bible that I received from Kel. It won hands-down! Heh. I like it cos of the pictures, the stories which are simplified and suitable for a girl with a 5-year-old mentality like me, and of course, the note in it. =) And before I opened his other present, which was a box, I told him that if it wasn't cashew nuts, he could take it back, next please. Hahaha! It turned out to be chocolate-coated almonds and raisins. My favourite also lah... so I keep. Hahahah!
Then when he opened his presents... I gave him a pig-skin belt which he can offer the kway chap lady next time, and a buaya (crocodile) toy! It's very fun! You are supposed to press its teeth one-by-one as you shiver in suspense, or rather, fidget in anticipation or jump in excitement when it's your turn to press! Why? Because you never know which tooth will make the buaya buckle and slam its jaws on your poor poor finger!! Hahaha! We played this with mummy and Auntie Linda and the house was filled with spontatneous squeals and laughter! It was an enjoyable time.
Merry Christmas everybody! *grin*
May the Christmas spirit be spread to all who are willing....
And the love, joy, peace and hope of the baby Jesus remain in our hearts and in our lives... in the year to come, and beyond.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Economic Game
I conducted an economic game with my classes, in an attempt to inject some fun, laughter and interest in Geog in general, and also to help them apply their Econ Geog concepts in a make-believe but somehow realistic situation.
They were divided into groups of 6, representing countries from USA, Japan, Brazil, India, Tanzania and Uganda. I distributed materials to them, according to the real countries' wealth and resources. The aim of the game was to generate as much income as possible by cutting out shapes, with values pegged to them.
Some countries only had lots of paper, but others had stationery but only a piece of paper. The idea was to get them to realize how and why international trade takes place. In the process, they discover concepts of international division of labour and exploitation (when 'Uganda' worked for 'Japan' out of desperation, and earned a small fraction of their income), comparative advantage (when 'USA' traded with 'India' because of its paper), protectionism (when 'USA' guarded its stationery (technology) closely to prevent 'Brazil' from catching up), open-door policy (when Japan realised it had to trade with the poorer countries to increase its wealth), trade alliances (when both African countries merged to compete against the wealthier countries), diversification of resources, etc.
Through it all, there were loads of laughter and excitement. This was especially so when the World Bank announced the fluctuation in prices of the different shapes, according to demand and supply. It was hysterical when civil war, terrorism, contracts, bidding and auctions, foreign ministers engaged in meetings, cheating and bribing, bargaining and even bankrupcy taking place in certain classes! It was truly a riot conducting the game! *grin*
My kind of class... Heh.
But fun aside, the arrogance of the developed countries and the desperation of the poorer countries were more than evident. The role of the state was also played out when in particular classes, Brazil emerged the winner despite its wealth, and in others, USA's wealth was just slightly ahead of Tanzania and Uganda.
I got the students to reflect on the game and apply Econ Geog knowledge to it. It was truly enjoyable to just read their individual reflections. Most common descriptions of the lesson was "enriching, interesting, fun, enjoyable, interactive, fresh". And one which totally made me fly to the skies.
"I never know what to expect when I enter the Geography room for tutorials now on Thursdays. Miss _____ (you) have this tendency to create tutorials which are far more surprising than any other tutor. Especially for a subject like Geography, in which it causes confusion in my already twisted mind, with the frequency similar to me breathing in oxygen, it never fails to amaze me what fun the tutorials have always been."
Hmmm, I quoted it here so that I will not forget that the effort I have put in have not been wasted. To have the kids learn something (be it tangible or not, be it values or content knowledge) while having fun, and to have an experience that they can reminisce on with a smile on their face in the future, and/or having touched their lives in a special way is possibly what motivates me, and what I strive for in teaching.
Ok, byebye...
They were divided into groups of 6, representing countries from USA, Japan, Brazil, India, Tanzania and Uganda. I distributed materials to them, according to the real countries' wealth and resources. The aim of the game was to generate as much income as possible by cutting out shapes, with values pegged to them.
Some countries only had lots of paper, but others had stationery but only a piece of paper. The idea was to get them to realize how and why international trade takes place. In the process, they discover concepts of international division of labour and exploitation (when 'Uganda' worked for 'Japan' out of desperation, and earned a small fraction of their income), comparative advantage (when 'USA' traded with 'India' because of its paper), protectionism (when 'USA' guarded its stationery (technology) closely to prevent 'Brazil' from catching up), open-door policy (when Japan realised it had to trade with the poorer countries to increase its wealth), trade alliances (when both African countries merged to compete against the wealthier countries), diversification of resources, etc.
Through it all, there were loads of laughter and excitement. This was especially so when the World Bank announced the fluctuation in prices of the different shapes, according to demand and supply. It was hysterical when civil war, terrorism, contracts, bidding and auctions, foreign ministers engaged in meetings, cheating and bribing, bargaining and even bankrupcy taking place in certain classes! It was truly a riot conducting the game! *grin*
My kind of class... Heh.
But fun aside, the arrogance of the developed countries and the desperation of the poorer countries were more than evident. The role of the state was also played out when in particular classes, Brazil emerged the winner despite its wealth, and in others, USA's wealth was just slightly ahead of Tanzania and Uganda.
I got the students to reflect on the game and apply Econ Geog knowledge to it. It was truly enjoyable to just read their individual reflections. Most common descriptions of the lesson was "enriching, interesting, fun, enjoyable, interactive, fresh". And one which totally made me fly to the skies.
"I never know what to expect when I enter the Geography room for tutorials now on Thursdays. Miss _____ (you) have this tendency to create tutorials which are far more surprising than any other tutor. Especially for a subject like Geography, in which it causes confusion in my already twisted mind, with the frequency similar to me breathing in oxygen, it never fails to amaze me what fun the tutorials have always been."
Hmmm, I quoted it here so that I will not forget that the effort I have put in have not been wasted. To have the kids learn something (be it tangible or not, be it values or content knowledge) while having fun, and to have an experience that they can reminisce on with a smile on their face in the future, and/or having touched their lives in a special way is possibly what motivates me, and what I strive for in teaching.
Ok, byebye...
More blabber
Finally a breather... and here's some love for my poor, neglected blog. -muack- Especially to all of you who still check in here now and then... Cos it means that you are thinking of me! (Even though you're bored and just happen to click on my link... it still shows that I appeared in your mind!) And if you don't remember who I am... well, at least you'll be thinking of me! Hahah!
So how has life been for me?
It's been a rush... mostly school. I feel like my home is akin to a hotel room, where I return to shower, laze on the bed to read, and snuggle under the covers (yeah, the last few nights have been rather cooling...). Then when the alarm rings, I shower, gulp down a glass of water, and I'm out of the house, ready to face the day. (Well, even if I'm not ready, I'll still have to face it!)
But I've been coping well. Getting to know my kids more and bonding with them, adapting to my workload, training my ODAC kids, familarising myself with Canoeing as a CCA, trying to contribute to the committee that I'm in, opening my appetite for more work to be shove down my throat and all. Heh.
Yeah, as Kel told me not too long ago... I should get used to the fact that I have a FULL-TIME job, and not a HALF-DAY job! (But I start at 725am everyday!!) I miss those times when I could go swimming everyday, have good lunches ot tea and meet friends in the evenings! Now I end around 6pm each day, and 7-8pm on CCA days, and my Saturdays are burnt too! Where to find time to play badminton with church kakis and pure fren on Sundays when that's my only day for recuperation?
But despite all my whining, I am actually still alive, and like these buzz of things going around me which I have to do. Yeah, sadistic hor? But I guess this is what teaching really is? There's a whole amalgation of things waiting for us to do, and you can't say you don't wanna do any of it! Heh.
I've been toying with the idea of putting an advertisement up for an assistant! Hahaha! The renumeration will be some feeding from time to time! Hahaha! But I've decided against it cos I can't decide what work to distribute to her! Not teaching definitely, not CCA, not the preparation for class, not the thought processes put into the planning, to some extent not the admin either cos I want to know my students (and sometimes redundant, mundane admin can be a therapy), and not the marking cos I want to know how my students are developing. So... I guess the offer is off.
Yeah. Ok, byebye...
So how has life been for me?
It's been a rush... mostly school. I feel like my home is akin to a hotel room, where I return to shower, laze on the bed to read, and snuggle under the covers (yeah, the last few nights have been rather cooling...). Then when the alarm rings, I shower, gulp down a glass of water, and I'm out of the house, ready to face the day. (Well, even if I'm not ready, I'll still have to face it!)
But I've been coping well. Getting to know my kids more and bonding with them, adapting to my workload, training my ODAC kids, familarising myself with Canoeing as a CCA, trying to contribute to the committee that I'm in, opening my appetite for more work to be shove down my throat and all. Heh.
Yeah, as Kel told me not too long ago... I should get used to the fact that I have a FULL-TIME job, and not a HALF-DAY job! (But I start at 725am everyday!!) I miss those times when I could go swimming everyday, have good lunches ot tea and meet friends in the evenings! Now I end around 6pm each day, and 7-8pm on CCA days, and my Saturdays are burnt too! Where to find time to play badminton with church kakis and pure fren on Sundays when that's my only day for recuperation?
But despite all my whining, I am actually still alive, and like these buzz of things going around me which I have to do. Yeah, sadistic hor? But I guess this is what teaching really is? There's a whole amalgation of things waiting for us to do, and you can't say you don't wanna do any of it! Heh.
I've been toying with the idea of putting an advertisement up for an assistant! Hahaha! The renumeration will be some feeding from time to time! Hahaha! But I've decided against it cos I can't decide what work to distribute to her! Not teaching definitely, not CCA, not the preparation for class, not the thought processes put into the planning, to some extent not the admin either cos I want to know my students (and sometimes redundant, mundane admin can be a therapy), and not the marking cos I want to know how my students are developing. So... I guess the offer is off.
Yeah. Ok, byebye...
Monday, January 08, 2007
Recce at Ubin
Back to Ubin I went... this time with my ODACers, to recce the orienteering routes.
In the beginning it was dreadful. I had to drag myself out of bed... and to think that I had to roll out of bed early on a weekend! And to endure the journey to the Eastermost tip of Singapore... but it all turned out rather well. Why? I had the opportunity to nap ALL THE WAY from Bishan to Changi (haha!), have time for breakfast at the kopitiam and get tempted by the yummy dimsum... be the authority figure and insist on discipline, be the safety officer and watch out for the kids, be the encourager and advisor, etc. And the best of it all... to share experiences and apply Geographical skills to allow the kids to appreciate nature even more!
Everything turned out well... with the weather being sunny and not rainy as it usually is at Ubin, us spotting a snake and admiring the skin, wondering if someone had just plastered a rubber toy snake to the rubbish bin and immediately discarding that ludicrous idea when it wriggled. Oh man... YUCK! GROSS! EWWWW!!!! Ok, calm down... Back to Ubin. God blessed us with the time and opportunity when the last orienteering point we had ended at the hut on the west of the island. I thanked God and took the kids up the quarry... all the way to the 3rd level where you ultimately stood on a granite outcrop and overlooked the emerald water below. And my heart warmed when at least 2 of my kids "wow-ed" over nature, and were genuinely interested when I described and explained certain things to them. (I guess it's like the Gold 90 FM advert... remember the "He plays like.... Agassi..." -listen to the good stuff?) Heh, Focus on those who appreciate.
Yep, so interaction was good. But my butt, back and legs got a thorough workout too! They ached so much I think I have to admit that I'm growing old! But then we were walking fast-paced almost continuously for 4 full hours!! Xiong1, but I like. *Grin*
I'm still young! And I wanna PLAY!!
In the beginning it was dreadful. I had to drag myself out of bed... and to think that I had to roll out of bed early on a weekend! And to endure the journey to the Eastermost tip of Singapore... but it all turned out rather well. Why? I had the opportunity to nap ALL THE WAY from Bishan to Changi (haha!), have time for breakfast at the kopitiam and get tempted by the yummy dimsum... be the authority figure and insist on discipline, be the safety officer and watch out for the kids, be the encourager and advisor, etc. And the best of it all... to share experiences and apply Geographical skills to allow the kids to appreciate nature even more!
Everything turned out well... with the weather being sunny and not rainy as it usually is at Ubin, us spotting a snake and admiring the skin, wondering if someone had just plastered a rubber toy snake to the rubbish bin and immediately discarding that ludicrous idea when it wriggled. Oh man... YUCK! GROSS! EWWWW!!!! Ok, calm down... Back to Ubin. God blessed us with the time and opportunity when the last orienteering point we had ended at the hut on the west of the island. I thanked God and took the kids up the quarry... all the way to the 3rd level where you ultimately stood on a granite outcrop and overlooked the emerald water below. And my heart warmed when at least 2 of my kids "wow-ed" over nature, and were genuinely interested when I described and explained certain things to them. (I guess it's like the Gold 90 FM advert... remember the "He plays like.... Agassi..." -listen to the good stuff?) Heh, Focus on those who appreciate.
Yep, so interaction was good. But my butt, back and legs got a thorough workout too! They ached so much I think I have to admit that I'm growing old! But then we were walking fast-paced almost continuously for 4 full hours!! Xiong1, but I like. *Grin*
I'm still young! And I wanna PLAY!!
"Bloop Bloop"
Merf and HF finally have their own home!!! (Although it is empty and Merf seems to intend for it to stay empty... Heh.)
It's so cool! I think it's cos they are the first couple I know who are my peers and getting married and have a flat! The idea is quite unbelivable leh! Am I already THAT grown-up? But I'm only a fi-year-old! Is this all like a "pretend-pretend" kind of play... which will all end when it's time to go home, or have dinner, or nap?
Anyway, since I'm on the topic of nap... and dreamland... and fantasies. Let me annnounce here on my blog that Merf would like his house to be a pseudo-fishtank! Such that when you enter his house, you'll be required to put on flippers and a snorkelling mask and dive for your food, which will be cooked for you. His house has almost full-length windows, which can half fulfill his dream, cos we'll all look like fishes in a tank! Guess what the ultimate is? You can search for the prized possession in his house!! And what could that be?? *Drumroll*
HF the mermaid!!!!!
Hahahahah!
Can you imagine HF as a mermaid?? Hahahaha! Would she be looking miserable cos she can't walk? Poor thing....
But anyway, the wise EL has "chopped" the idea of making a trip to the costume shop to fulfill Merf's wish list. I think the rest of us are thinking of investing in a comforter or a sofa with a mermaid print on it, so that HF can slip into it and transform into the mermaid that Merf desires. Hahaha!
I wonder what HF thinks... or have to say about this!
Hahahaha!
Maybe a "Merf!!!! Ni3 gen1 wo3 guo4 lai2!!!" in her infamous screechy witchy tone which conjures up the image of her pulling Merf's ear!
*Grin*
It's so cool! I think it's cos they are the first couple I know who are my peers and getting married and have a flat! The idea is quite unbelivable leh! Am I already THAT grown-up? But I'm only a fi-year-old! Is this all like a "pretend-pretend" kind of play... which will all end when it's time to go home, or have dinner, or nap?
Anyway, since I'm on the topic of nap... and dreamland... and fantasies. Let me annnounce here on my blog that Merf would like his house to be a pseudo-fishtank! Such that when you enter his house, you'll be required to put on flippers and a snorkelling mask and dive for your food, which will be cooked for you. His house has almost full-length windows, which can half fulfill his dream, cos we'll all look like fishes in a tank! Guess what the ultimate is? You can search for the prized possession in his house!! And what could that be?? *Drumroll*
HF the mermaid!!!!!
Hahahahah!
Can you imagine HF as a mermaid?? Hahahaha! Would she be looking miserable cos she can't walk? Poor thing....
But anyway, the wise EL has "chopped" the idea of making a trip to the costume shop to fulfill Merf's wish list. I think the rest of us are thinking of investing in a comforter or a sofa with a mermaid print on it, so that HF can slip into it and transform into the mermaid that Merf desires. Hahaha!
I wonder what HF thinks... or have to say about this!
Hahahaha!
Maybe a "Merf!!!! Ni3 gen1 wo3 guo4 lai2!!!" in her infamous screechy witchy tone which conjures up the image of her pulling Merf's ear!
*Grin*
2007 blabber
A blink of an eye.... and I bidded goodbye to 2006 just like that.
It was a somewhat good year, I would say... charaterised by several small trips, and stuck with a label which says "no entry to countries starting with "Bang" for you", the year I officially started teaching, the year I met Kel.... hmmm. Heh.
An another blink of an eye (or was it a nap?) and the first week of 2007 is over!
New Year's Eve was awesome. A sweet time spent watching the fireworks in the recesses of East Coast, away from the sweaty bodies intruding on your private space and all.
School is always interesting. To me, it's like a funfair or carnival... filled with interesting happenings throughout the day, and it can never be boring. And at the end of the day, I can just stretch out on my bed, thank God for the comfy feeling and just bid the world goodbye for the night after a long "workout" at school.
This year is a huge difference from last year's honeymoon period. It seems like I'm finally visible... and like a bagpack you carry on vacation, you try to stuff as much as you can into the bag after shopping, so that you need not hand-carry anything... I feel as if I'm being stuffed to the neck (and your voice changes when you eat too much! Try it if you don't buy it! Heh) and the stuffing is still continuous! But masochistic as it sounds, I kinda enjoy it you know? Hahaha!
Not am I only straddling 2 levels and made to feel like a specialist when yours truly is actually just on par with the students she teaches! (they are trying to see how smart I am... just that they dunno I crap myself through most of the time, and that my brains are actually hollow and do produce echoes!), I have 2 heavy CCAs (at my request... cos I can't bear to give up my love), and though I was promised no form class (that promise has dissipated into thin air, never to be heard of again! However, behold! I am secretly (well, not so secretly anymore) elated cos I do want a form class (although along with it comes a whole truckload of stuff of different natures) cos it's a chance to interact closely with the kids. And that is what I find almost priceless.
I have finally met all my classes for year 2, and despite the impression that they are just mere Science students without a care for Geog... I have grown to love them, in just a short 1 hour span! As Pengy says, my strategy is "Ai4 de4 Jiao4 yu4" (Education of love)... And I am all fired up to bring them through the year, be it through breaking their hearts (and mine)while disciplining them, shoving them with work like a bottomless pit, laughing silly with them, pulling their hair (and mine) out while tutoring the slowest amongst slowest, etc.
In fact, I walk in and out of class feeling boosted and energized, that I become hyper afterward! And this is in the midst of a highly stressful period of time! I think this is MY profession. All troubles, all lethargy, all frustrations.... they just miraculously vanish when I start my lesson and entertain and get entertain by the kids. And to receive students' short liners of encouragement and promises to strive hard for the year really make me rocket skyward. (Ok, I'm easily pleased... but what's wrong about that? Heh.)
And to quote from pinpy's (2007) blog, "this job really feels like an amalgation of a zillion others - administrator, nanny, tutor, counsellor, policewoman, CEO and now...smalltown movie star." I can't beg to differ! Haha! But the feeling is awesome! Especially when last year's students grin when they see you, call out to you, joke with you, talk to you and all. A feeling of being wanted and appreciated, I guess?
I need to note these down so that I will always be reminded of the good times when the roller-coaster heads down.
But whatever it is, "God's grace is sufficient... and He will never leave you nor forsake you."
It was a somewhat good year, I would say... charaterised by several small trips, and stuck with a label which says "no entry to countries starting with "Bang" for you", the year I officially started teaching, the year I met Kel.... hmmm. Heh.
An another blink of an eye (or was it a nap?) and the first week of 2007 is over!
New Year's Eve was awesome. A sweet time spent watching the fireworks in the recesses of East Coast, away from the sweaty bodies intruding on your private space and all.
School is always interesting. To me, it's like a funfair or carnival... filled with interesting happenings throughout the day, and it can never be boring. And at the end of the day, I can just stretch out on my bed, thank God for the comfy feeling and just bid the world goodbye for the night after a long "workout" at school.
This year is a huge difference from last year's honeymoon period. It seems like I'm finally visible... and like a bagpack you carry on vacation, you try to stuff as much as you can into the bag after shopping, so that you need not hand-carry anything... I feel as if I'm being stuffed to the neck (and your voice changes when you eat too much! Try it if you don't buy it! Heh) and the stuffing is still continuous! But masochistic as it sounds, I kinda enjoy it you know? Hahaha!
Not am I only straddling 2 levels and made to feel like a specialist when yours truly is actually just on par with the students she teaches! (they are trying to see how smart I am... just that they dunno I crap myself through most of the time, and that my brains are actually hollow and do produce echoes!), I have 2 heavy CCAs (at my request... cos I can't bear to give up my love), and though I was promised no form class (that promise has dissipated into thin air, never to be heard of again! However, behold! I am secretly (well, not so secretly anymore) elated cos I do want a form class (although along with it comes a whole truckload of stuff of different natures) cos it's a chance to interact closely with the kids. And that is what I find almost priceless.
I have finally met all my classes for year 2, and despite the impression that they are just mere Science students without a care for Geog... I have grown to love them, in just a short 1 hour span! As Pengy says, my strategy is "Ai4 de4 Jiao4 yu4" (Education of love)... And I am all fired up to bring them through the year, be it through breaking their hearts (and mine)while disciplining them, shoving them with work like a bottomless pit, laughing silly with them, pulling their hair (and mine) out while tutoring the slowest amongst slowest, etc.
In fact, I walk in and out of class feeling boosted and energized, that I become hyper afterward! And this is in the midst of a highly stressful period of time! I think this is MY profession. All troubles, all lethargy, all frustrations.... they just miraculously vanish when I start my lesson and entertain and get entertain by the kids. And to receive students' short liners of encouragement and promises to strive hard for the year really make me rocket skyward. (Ok, I'm easily pleased... but what's wrong about that? Heh.)
And to quote from pinpy's (2007) blog, "this job really feels like an amalgation of a zillion others - administrator, nanny, tutor, counsellor, policewoman, CEO and now...smalltown movie star." I can't beg to differ! Haha! But the feeling is awesome! Especially when last year's students grin when they see you, call out to you, joke with you, talk to you and all. A feeling of being wanted and appreciated, I guess?
I need to note these down so that I will always be reminded of the good times when the roller-coaster heads down.
But whatever it is, "God's grace is sufficient... and He will never leave you nor forsake you."
