Homesickness

So how's my first two days in school?

1) Friendly and helpful mentors (Check)

2) A principal who really cares about the staff wellbeing. (Check)

3) NIE friends (Check)

4) Polite students (Check)

5) Personal desk (Check)

6) Friends in school (Blank)

7) Sense of belonging (Blank)

I am wondering whether I should apply back to my contract school despite the SUPER heavy workload in that school.

Hamster Babies!

My title says it all. My hamster just gave birth to hamster babies!!!!!! (Imagine me screaming) Well, I actually did scream for my mother when I saw the babies. My mum told me to leave the hamsters alone so I didn't take a picture of them. Let me describe what I saw. I was walking past the cage and peering into it when I saw something red wriggling. On closer look, it looks like a little red, fleshy bullet wriggling side to side. It is so "ewwww" and so "awwwww" at the same time.

Yesterday, my mum and me were still discussing about how one of the hamsters is so fat while the other is thin in comparison. I have already noticed that since last week and had been trying to feed the thin one by pushing food into his mouth. =P Now I know the reason. But it is too late! She has already delivered her babies and I missed the chance to change her bedding and provide more food for her.

How?? I have no idea on how to take care of newborn hamster babies!

Stupid Advertisement!

I am so frustrated over my English assignment! We are supposed to teach "Listening and Viewing" and my tutor chose "Advertisement" for our theme.

At first, this theme sounded pretty ok. It is not an unfamiliar word and there are many resources online. In fact, I had a great idea on how to plan my lesson plan! I wanted the students to listen and view how to make cheesecakes. Then, we will really make the cakes in class. After that, they have to design an advertisement for their cakes and sell it to their parents. The funds will go for end-of-year party.

BUT! But in the lesson plan above, my listening activity does not have the theme "Advertisement" in it!! Now, I have to rethink about what to do.....

The theme sucks lar. Other classes have "Adventure", "Wild Animals", "Stories", etc for their theme. These are what I call "themes". Mine is a text type!! Advertisement is a text type!! How to work creatively when I am limited to a text type?! Argh!! I can already predict what my classmates will do. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WILL START THE LESSON BY SHOWING THE STUDENTS ADVERTISEMENT AND END THE LESSON BY HAVING THE STUDENTS PRODUCE ADVERTISEMENTS! HOW BORING CAN IT GET????? WHAT OTHER CHOICES DO WE HAVE?????

Any one got any creative ideas....?

Huli's 23rd Birthday~!

It is another "birthday" entry again. =P This time round, we celebrated Huli's Birthday at "Su", a Korean restaurant at Clarke Quay. Btw, Huli's real name is Pui Shan, which I have conveniently forgot and called her "Yeow Shan" instead. Haha!

The food was pretty alright. The most "tasty dish" is the manager of the restaurant. Haha! I believe he is a Korean and he has super charming looks. Yummy~ Haha! A feast for the eyes.

After dinner, we made our way to starbucks for coffee. On the way there, we spotted a good place for photo-taking. The travellator in the underground link to One Fullerton! The shots were quite unusual and I love it!

It seems that this year, we are in the mood of teasing the birthday girl. We bought Hello Kitty panties and fake candles for Birdie and Huli got Kueh Lapis for birthday cake. Haha!

Traditional shots with the birthday girl. (Why is my picture with Huli so dark??)


We also took some group polariods! It was quite embarrassing because we got to ask a stranger to take 7 shots of us! In the end, we split into 2 polariod taking sessions. Haha! After asking a guy to help us take about 4 polariods, we waited for the crowd to clear in Starbucks and asked a new guy who just walked in. Luckily, the two guys were great sports and didn't mind leaving the queue to help us. =P





Anyway, wanna wish Huli a HAPPY 23RD BIRTHDAY!! Her actual birthday is tomorrow, on the 19th! If you want, you can go to her blog to wish her happy birthday! (P.S. I got her blog address the other time.)

Ethel's 3rd Birthday!

So many birthdays this month.. It was Ethel's birthday last Sunday. She turned 3 this year! How time flies...





We took her shopping for presents at Toys"R"Us prior to the celebration. We were in there for an hour, looking for toys after toys but found none suitable. In the end, Ethel just wanted a cheap toy car. She was, surprisingly, so easy to satisfy. Haha!

We had the birthday celebration at Ethel's Grandma's house which is one door away from mine. Haha! So it was very convenient.


Her Mum asked a friend to cook for the party who used to work as a hawker. The roast pork was bought by my cousin.

This post is going to be filled with many pictures of my niece and nephews. I just love taking pictures of children! They are so natural, so cute, so funny....



Ethel and Alvin singing to wordless songs which tunes they made up on the spot.




A VERY adorable picture of Alvin! And I just realised that he has grown so much!




I love this picture. 3 years old Ethel looking at herself when she was 2 years old.




And then it was cake-cutting time! My cousin bought the cake from Bakerzin. They were very generous with the strawberries!! Alas, I don't eat strawberry. =P




Picture with Ethel. I was looking very "cui" coz I was rushing my assignments for the past few days and I don't feel the need to dress up when they are just next door from me. Haha!




Again, I wanna end the post with a picture of Ethel.....



.......and to say that we still love her very much.

My 2009 Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is officially over yesterday. My favourite holiday just went past in an instant. =(

Some pictures from my CNY this year!

On New Year's eve, my mum prepared Buddha Jump Over The Wall for us. Super super yummy!! Took one whole day to stew!

Cam-whoring.. =P

Feeling damn full from all the rich food and fattening goodies!

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20 few years ago, there was a couple who was trying to get pregnant. They heard about this temple where prayers for children were often answered. They decided to visit the temple and ask for a child.

Every last day of the lunar new year, the temple medium will distribute flowers blessed by the Goddess of Mercy to couples who want children. For a few years, the couple did not have the luck to be around when the flower-giving session was on. 24 years ago, the couple finally managed to be at the temple when they gave out the flowers.

They caught a flower.

Did they get pregnant?

Yep, they gave birth to me. =)

And so, every last day of the lunar new year, we will visit this temple to give thanks.

This year, we managed to reach the temple in time for the flower-giving ceremony. The temple caretaker will climb up a ladder to reach the huge pot of flowers. From that height, he will throw the flowers down.

We brought Alvin along with us this time. We also managed to catch 3 flowers! I'm not intending to get pregnant though. Just hoping for good luck in finding someone special. =)

Every year, there is a opera troupe stationed outside the temple. I never understood what they are singing but they complete my Lunar New Year celebration.

=)

Sigh..

Sigh... This is the time of the semester again.. When I have things to blog but doesn't have the time. I have 3 assignments to be handed up within these 2 weeks! Argh... Wanna die from the stress.. Especially for my SS presentation.. After working with them once, the stress level has upped many notches.. Argh..

Gotto go.......