Sometimes, I just hate myself.


I am too proud for my own good.

Family Outing

After gym on Friday, Dad decided to visit Ethel at her house in Changi. And so, he picked me up from Bukit Batok CSC and drove us to Changi.



After an uneventful lunch, we decided to do something impromptu. I love such things! Give you a clue on what we did.



















Yes! We went Pulau Ubin! It was my Mum's first time there. My dad has not stepped onto Ubin for 30 years! He told me that last time, there was no shops or any eateries. Just jungle.

My Dad has such a rubbery face. Haha! One of these days, I will post all his pictures in one entry titled "The Cam Whore Lives in My Dad". Haha!

We were not dressed appropriately. I was in my denim skirt. Lady Luck was on my side, preventing me from falling into the water while boarding and alighting the Bum boats. Needless to say, none of us brought mosquito repellent. However, only I got bitten by the blood suckers. Maybe Lady Luck decided to take a toilet break at that moment.

We took the Ubin's Taxi to Chek Jawa. It was quite cheap. We only need to pay $20 to and fro Chek Jawa. It was cheaper than renting bikes. Well, we could not cycle anyway. Me and my cousin in our skirts, Dad don't know how to cycle, Ethel's feet couldn't even reach the pedals...




Chek Jawa is still as I remembered it to be. Dad, being his lazy self, refused to go to the watch tower. So we only walked around the Exhibition house and the coastal walk. We only walked for about 15 minutes before Dad decided to leave. Grrr... Such a waste of money. When we reached the van, the driver, an ah pek, had not even finished his smoke. Hmm... Typical of my Dad.

And so it was back to Singapore. Although it was just a short trip, I really enjoyed it very much. I just love spending time with my family, showing them what I love and what I enjoy doing. =)

It's the Damn Portal again...

What's a better way to welcome us back to school? The answer - With a e-learning lesson and a portal that you can't log into to do the lesson.

Yep, it is happening again. I cannot do my e-learning lesson because they decided to do maintanence for the portal from last Friday to yesterday. Yesterday night I tried, the portal was working BUT it couldn't retrieve my user information and so I could not log in. GREAT...

Just now I tried, there was a stupid pop-up that stopped me from logging in. I called the helpdesk and they told me they will solve it by tonight.

Want to know the deadline of my elearning lesson? Some said it's Friday and some said before my next tutorial lesson. My next tutorial lesson is today. Which I forgot to attend because the teacher switched it to today and told us she will remind us using the portal. Which happens to be down.

Wow.. It sucks big time.

The Diagnosis

Well, all's well with me. =) A trip to the ENT specialist revealed that I am super allergic to this one thing which causes my sinus to keep recurring.

I had a Skin Prick test to test for allergies. I was fooled by the innocent little bottles with their cute little caps. The specialist took up each cap and pressed against my skin. And it hurt! The bottom of those caps actually cut my skin! I still have the marks made by the caps now. Grrr...

After 15 minutes, the skin pricked by the caps started to swell. The ones that swelled tell us that I am allergic to something. The doctor revealed that I am allergic to DUST MITES.

That's the disgusting creature. It is an microscopic organism and belongs to the spider family. Actually, people are not allergic to the dust mite itself but to its droppings. Ewww.... So I've been breathing in its shit all this time...

There is no cure for allergies. So I guess I have to live with it then.

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I got my timetable for this semester! And I am super happy with it because I only need to go back to school for 3 days. Goodie! (To Xiao Mei: I have 3 hours lunch break on Tues and Weds. We can meet for lunch on one of these days? =))

Here's my Timetable.

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I've got myself a new phone! The Samsung Omnia! *Happy*

Something to do with Sinus

In a few hours time, I'll be on my way to Gleneagles to visit a Ear and Nose Specialist. Actually, I doubt he will tell me anything that I do not know about my condition. It is because of my parents that I agree to go. They don't believe whatever I say. -_-" Now, I have to spend a hundred bucks to see a doctor. Haiz.. I guess he will suggest using laser to zap away a piece of my nose. Hmm.. I'll see if my prediction is correct.

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I am going to get myself a new phone! Yea! So exciting! =D Dunno to get the HTC Diamond or Samsung Omnia.. Hmm..

Finally the end of the Practicum

Yeah! The practicum has finally ended!! I do not have to wake up at 530am everyday and can sleep as long as I want to. I smell Freeeeedom!

Here are some photos taken during the last few days. Memories...

Stressed out with all the last minute work.

Table shared with another NIE Trainee Teacher. The shot was taken from the pantry. Now do you understand why I felt like I was an animal in a zoo exhibit?

Now to "show off" what the children got for me as farewell presents. Haha!

Tada!

This drawing really tickled me. I nearly fell down in class the other day coz I was "playing" with my heels. And this girl saw what happened and we had a good laugh over it. In the end, she drew this picture for me. Haha!

A card drawn by a very sweet Pri 2 girl. Hmm.. Is there a hidden meaning to the card? Why tiger?? Haha!

Although the appearance is not very attractive, but it's the thought that counts. From the boys in my P2 English class. =)

=)

The inside of this card touches me. It has the drawings of all the Maths activities I have done with the students. I didn't know the activities left such a deep impression on that student but I'm glad they did.

A really fulfilling 5 weeks. I kinda miss having a class of my own. I have a lot of plans in mind and hopefully, I will be able to carry them out soon. Hmm.. Maybe not so soon coz I wanna cross over to the degree programme. =P

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On Saturday, my club's Freshman Orientation Camp '08 was held in NIE. Finally... After months of preparation, seeking of sponsers and meetings, I'm glad that everything went well. Phew~ I was happy when I heard that they like the goodie bags. I have my Vice-President to thank for helping me along the way. I couldn't have done it on my own. Kudos to him!

The goodie bags station.

The goodies in the bag!

After the event, we went to this restuarant called "Ju" at Paradiz Centre for lunch/dinner. They served steamboat and there was one steamboat for each of us. It was a really good recommendation from my ex-roomie!!! The food was damn good and the service was unbelievable! It has entered my list of favourite restuarants!

That was the appetiser. Can you see the egg?? The egg was really amazing! It had a secret....

The inside was half-cooked! And it tasted sweet! Yummy! The manager treated us to a second round of eggs coz my ex-roomie and I pestered the manager for the recipe. Keke!

Hold on to your seats. I am going to introduce the main dishes....

Fish steamboat! A WHOLE FISH!! And it was super-duper fresh! We were halfway through our meal when my roomie exclaimed out loud! The friend who ordered the fish steamboat was eating the fish raw! A bit wild, huh! But it proved that the fish was fresh.

Chicken and pork combo.

My chicken set. It was really, really delicious.

Photo of the girls.

Photo of us! (I was ordering a cab on the phone. Keke!)

Now with all these behind me, I am ready to take on new challenges that may come my way in Year 2. Jia you, jia you, jia you!

Wan Lin's and Collin's Convocation

I've seen them graduate from Commonwealth Secondary, different JCs and now, University!! Time really whizzes past!

These two girls are some of the brightest students I know. So there isn't any doubt whether they could survive University. It was just the matter of grades. Well, both girls scored 2nd Upper Honours! Smart, right?? Haha!

I am sooo happy for them! It was the time to reap what they have sown for the past 15 years. Here are the photos from their convocation!


We were commenting that the background looks so "NDP". Keke!


The two graduates. =)

The 5 of us. Sherlyn was absent. =(

We were lamenting that the strangers we approached had no phototaking skills. So we rather take our own pictures. =P

The not formal photos. Haha! I think we were the only ones doing that in the Auditorium.

Lastly, wanna wish the girls good luck in their new jobs! I believe they will continue to excel in the next stage of their lives! *Nods*

A Little Corner in Singapore

I guess I really have to thank Ethel. Because of her, my dad always bring us out occasionally and we will explore the different corners of Singapore, trying to dig out interesting places to visit or dine from.

This time round, we discovered Pasir Ris Park. You might be thinking, "Erm... Hello.. We all heard of it before. Big deal." Yeap, it is a big deal because at Pasir Ris Park, you can see these!

Ponies and horses! You can get to feed and ride them! How cool is that! (The ponies look like they have rebonded their hair. Haha!)




We bought a packet of Alfafa to feed the ponies. At first, I was rather scared because I wouldn't want the ponies to chew off my fingers. In the end, I gritted my teeth and allowed the ponies to snuffle my palms and lick the alfafa. Super disgusting yet fun! Haha! My hands were covered in ponies' drool after feeding them. Little Ethel had no qualms about feeding them. Brave girl, she is. If the ponies could bite away my fingers, they could bite away her whole palm! Luckily, those ponies are tamed enough for us to feed them. I also tried to feed the white horse but I stopped when I could feel its teeth rubbing against my palm. Scary...

After Pasir Ris Park, we went to the new games complex beside Downtown East. It is filled with games stores and eateries! You can find arcade, bowling alley, children's indoor playground and ice-skating rink, board games cafes, etc, all under one roof. There is also an indoor ferris wheel and we tried that out!



The little child inside me is awakened whenever I spend time with Ethel. Guess I had as much fun as her. It is a good thing my dad is crazy over her and the boys. =)

Roller Coaster Day

Today is one of my most "happening" day. I have experienced moments of sadness, happiness and embarassment.

Today, there was a speaker from SPCA who came to our school to give a talk on animal care. She told us a story and when she finished, I was holding back my tears desperately. The story goes like this. When she was a volunteer in SPCA, she once handled a case. One day, she saw a man arrived at the SPCA with a dog. She showed us a picture of the dog and we could see that the dog was in a terrible condition. It was old with wrinkles. Most of the hair had fallen off and there were batches of bald skin all over his body.

The man strolled up to the building, kicked the door open and approached the receptionist. He said something which made me want to hit him. He said, "I want to kill my dog." He wanted to put the dog to sleep! Helpless, the receptionist gave the man a form to fill in.

Meanwhile, the dog was looking downcast. However, when the man came out of the building, the dog became happy again. It bounced up and down and barked at its owner. But you know what the owner did?? He slapped the dog! Bastard!

The speaker saw what had happened and ran after the man. But the man drove quickly away. She went back to the dog and tried to elicit a response from it by making the clicking noises. The dog ignored her. She lifted the dog's chin and the dog was crying! I didn't know dogs can cry! I really feel for the dog. In the end, the dog was put to sleep. Sad ending.

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That was the sadness part. The happy part of my day is that I finally found my dress for Maggie's wedding! You know where I found it in? After soooo many days of searching in town?? Jurong Point!! And you guess which shop? Ice Lemon Tea!! Haha! So amazing right?! I also bought a lot of things today. Shoes, socks and blouse. The best part is that I forgot to bring my wallet out today. Luckily, my mum accompanied me today. Hee!

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The embarrassing part happened during dinner. After shopping, my mum and I went to Fish n Co for dinner. We had the seafood platter for 2 and I asked for fried calamari but they gave me grilled ones. Grrr... And the grilled calamari nearly killed me. I don't know if you realise that sometimes calamari has this "skin-like" thing that is difficult to chew. I choked on that thing during dinner today. It was so bad that I had to reach into my throat and tried to pull it out. But it slipped and I started gagging. Luckily, I didn't vomit. It was still SUPER EMBARRASSING, though! I don't know how many people saw me reaching into my throat. Argh...

So, today is really a roller coaster ride for me. So happening...

Miss Complain Queen

I've been debating with myself whether I should blog this post. I do not want to get into any form of trouble. Maybe I thought too much because 1) nobody in my new company knows my blog address 2) I didn't mention any names of my ex- and new companies before 3) It is not as if many people read my blog. But I am a very cautious person and I've seen enough examples of people getting caught over what they wrote in their blogs.

BUT I want to write about this! I have few people to complain and whine to now so blogging is my solace. (Friends (you know who you are), please meet up soon!!)

It is natural for people to compare their companies, I believe.. I am no exception. Now, I am blogging from my new company at my desk. Hmm... My desk = one table shared by two people, no cupboards, no powerpoints. And my "desk" is in front of the pantry.

I understand that there are not enough tables in my new company. I really understand. But that does not make me happier. I feel like I am an exhibit/animal in the zoo. When my colleagues want to have a drink, they have to walk pass me and inevitably, they will look at what I am doing. I cannot even have a 5-min nap. The worse thing is, some of my colleagues do not treat this "desk" as my workplace. They left food packages on my desk, had meeting on my desk, wanting to dispose visitors at my desk... Argh! No privacy! And so.. I leave a mess on "my" desk.. Just like how a dog will pee in a place to mark his territory.

Another thing that irks me is that I have to wear convered shoes or shoes with back strap to work. Argh! My "octopus-tentacle" feet are back! I have to spend money on plasters so that I can provide some sort of protection for my poor feet. I remembered that when I was 19, I talked about acquring the kung-fu of wearing heels. I have learned that skill and now, I have to train the skin on my feet to be thicker. Another form of kung-fu. Urgh.... It is so tough to be a woman.

Actually, these are the only 2 things that I am unhappy about at this moment. There are plenty of things I like in this new company. But people tend to dwell on the unhappy stuffs. Hmm...

Baby Blues

It is back to school tomorrow after the weekends. Haiz.. Getting a bit depressed again..

Alvin (my baby nephew) has fallen sick. He was running a fever. When he coughed, I could hear the congestion in his chest. Poor thing.. Really makes my heart ache..

Because Alvin is sick, we brought his twin brother, Aaron, out during this weekend. We hope that he will not catch anything from his brother. Alas.. Just now, Aaron started to run a temperature. *Big sigh!*

Really hope that they will get well soon! It is heart-rending to see their little bodies suffering from the illness. *Prays*

Monthly Sinus Day

Welcome to the monthly Sinus Day Carnival! We promise you loads of running, rubbing and releasing! Explosives, such as sneezes, will be released throughout the day to welcome in the Sinus Day! It will be a mucus-filled day! Woo hoo!

Sinus Day has been passed down from generations to generations. It is a tradition celebrated when there are weather fluctuations, flowering season or dusting day. It usually begins with the onset of sneezes and the celebrations will slowly... begin! There is no traditional costumes for this day but there is a must-have traditional accessory... the wonderful, super absorbent tissue papers! How ever can we forget them?

During the Sinus Day, loads of tissue papers soaked with mucus will be produced. Alas, there is no real purpose for the "mucused" tissue papers. "We are trying our best to find a use of the mucus produced. As oil prices are soaring these days, we hope that our group of scientists will invent machines that will run on mucus in replacement of fuel." Quoted by Ho Shi Yin, president of the Sinus Day committee who is also a counsellor in the Sinus Support Group.

To celebrate the monthly Sinus Day, we have prepared a series of games to spice up the carnival. There will be "See-who-can-shoot-the furthest-distance" competition, "Basket that Tissue Paper" challenge, "Longest Sneezes in a Row", and many other games! The Guinness World Record judges will also be present to count the number of the mucus-soaked tissue papers to enter us into the records. So people, let us do our best!

Enjoy the monthly Sinus Day while it last! I'll see you at the next Sinus Day!

Back to School

Depressed yet excited

Nervous yet looking-forward

Bored yet alert

Sad yet optimistic


Stress and worried and down and tired and trembly and scared...


Think it is the PMS period.. Damn..

End of Holidays

That's it. The end of my holidays as a bummer. Tomorrow, I will enter my new school for the staff retreat. I am rather apprehensive as I do not like adapting to new environment. I will just clam up and turn into a hermit. And yet, I chose to go to another school rather than returning back to my old school. Such irony, huh.

*Big sigh!* I don't know what to wear! I have already planned what I want to wear when I received an email saying that we should wear "something comfortable for physical movements" and the place to report is in the hall. (They didn't specify the instructions for the trainee teachers (us) and so I assumed we are included in the instructions.)

I don't know what to wear! I want to create a nice and professional first impression. The outfit that I planned includes heels and a cardigan. And the outfit that I have in mind for physical movements are my brother's shorts (berms to me) and an adidas shirt. The difference is so drastic! I have no clothes that fall in between these two styles. Argh! Why make life difficult for me?!

Funny huh.. The night I spent before entering a new school is about worrying what to wear. I hate it.

Ubin Camp!

Finally, I received most of my Ubin's camp photos! And I came to one conclusion(besides that the camp was fun, tiring, etc) - I have put on a hell lot of weight! It is so obvious in EVERY SINGLE photograph! URGH!!! More gym sessions, please!

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Day 1

I went to meet the tents rental company early in the morning and managed to carry the tents to Clementi Mrt Station where I would be meeting the peeps. I was there quite early and I watched the sky turned cloudy and grey. Eventually, it started to rain cats and dogs.

Dark and cloudy

Some of the blocks of flats were hidden by the heavy rain

I was rather worried at that time because we had no wet weather plans. I was afraid the others might scrap the camp.

Luckily, we have some enthusiastic and crazy people who are not going to give in to the weather. And so... We decided to travel to Changi and then made our decisions there. Phew..

The sky looked clearer at Changi village and the rain seemed lighter. We decided to check out the jetty and see if the boats were running. (They may stop if the weather is bad.)

Luck was on our side! We finally made it to Ubin!

Now, I shall let the pictures do the talking.

We started the long journey on the train...

Up and down the escalators..

On the bus...

On the boat..

Arrived in Ubin and were all suited up to go! I kept complaining that we looked like green peas and carrots but no choice, it was that or get wet. =P

We pitched out tents at Mamam Beach, known for its flying insects. 16 of us had to help to pitch the 8-man tent! What happens if there are only 8 of us?

"What are they doing?"
"Trying to set up a makeshift shelter from the rain."
"Out of 2 ponchos?!"
"Yup."
"Can't they see the big hole in the middle of the 2 sheets?"
"Ego blinded their eyes."
"Are the ponchos big enough?"
"I don't think so."
"So why are they still continuing with that?"
"Ego is their (only) main motivation and reward."
They took half an hour to realise that their efforts were in vain.

The tents were up! A group shot of us!

Some of went to sent off the non-campers to the jetty. After which, we cycled to Chek Jawa. It has undergone a revamp currently and we were curious about its new image. Here we are, on top of the watch tower where we can see most of Ubin.

At the boardwalk which leads us out into the sea.

This used to be a dilapidated haunted house/school. They renovated it into a exhibition hall. We love the cottage-like appearance!

Trying to be artistic but failed terribly.

It was ODAC Sing-a-long session after dinner. ZR printed out the song sheets for us! Haha! It was rather funny because we really poured our guts out singing! Unique experience..

After that, we went for a night walk with only 6 of us in a group. No photos though. I was damn scared.

Day 2

Woke up at 7am and started to unpitch our tents. We wanted MacDonald's breakfast!

One last group photo before we leave.

I really really enjoyed this camp! After we put on our yellow ODAC tee, it felt like we went back in time and was back in our JC days. The guys were real gentlemen during the camp and they really wowed me with their sensitivity and gentlemen ways. I felt like the girls were truly looked after during the 2 days. I like... =)

Really look forward to our next camp......